Using Mod Podge as a Sealant and Topcoat for Paper Quilled Jewelry – Part 3 – Tight Flowers – Moderately Tight Rolls

Last week I started this series about using Mod Podge for paper quilled jewelry.  In Part 1 (click here to read it) I showed the different finishes that I was using, some basic information about mod podge, and my first impressions of it.  In Part 2 (click here to read it) I showed how to use Mod Podge on tight rolls.

In today’s post I am showing what Mod Podge looks like when you make a design that has moderately tight rolls.  I am using these tight flowers as an example.  They aren’t the same as tight rolls, as the coils have been allowed to expand and then they are pinched into shape.  But they are not very loose either.

For this test I made five flowers that were the same.  I left one plain.  I coated one with liquid sealer (I used Ceramcoat All Purpose Sealer).  The other three I coated with matte, paper matte, and glossy.  I got these three plus sparkle and outdoors in a variety pack.  The liquid sealer is not related to Mod Podge, but I used it because when I make quilled jewelry I almost always use a liquid sealer for the base.  It makes it sturdy because it really soaks into the paper. I wanted to see if Mod Podge did that at all (it doesn’t) and I wanted to see how Mod Podge affects the color of the paper compared to the liquid sealer.

I learned from using Mod Podge on the tight coils that it does not work well to use thick layers of Mod Podge.  Several thin layers is the way to go!  So what I did was to put a thin layer on one side, let it completely dry, and do the same on the other side.  I repeated this a couple more times.  I also made sure to coat the edge of the flower a couple times.  For the third and final layer I made sure to dab the brush into the crevices/spaces  so everything was coated.

Here is a photo of all the different flowers together.  You can see that the one with the liquid sealer (not related to Mod Podge) is a tiny bit darker than the others.  This usually happens with liquid sealers I have found.  But I like it because it soaks into the paper and makes the shape more stiff and sturdy.  I then use a different topcoat on it.  If I was using Mod Podge for my quilled jewelry I would first use a liquid sealer and then put Mod Podge on top of it.

It is nice to see the flowers all together, but to really see detail you need to see them upclose.  So I have a bunch of upclose photos for you!  The flowers also look a bit different on white vs. the black background, so I have both.

Up first is Mod Podge Matte, which is not truly matte.  It has a little bit of a shine to it.  The only truly matte topcoat that I have found (so far) is PPA Matte. But Mod Podge Matte is definitely less shiny than the Mod Podge Gloss.  Since Mod Podge is fairly thick and dimensional (it doesn’t flatten out when you blob it onto a surface, so you need to do very thin layers if you don’t want blobs) it can be tricky getting into the crevices.  I use a small, fairly stiff, paint brush for all of my sealants.  You can tell that the Mod Podge has been kind of gooped into the middle of the petals.  If you don’t like the look of the thick sealant dried there, you have to use a toothpick or needle tool to get out as much as you can before it starts drying.  This holds true for all of the different Mod Podge types that I have tried here, as well as any other thick sealants, topcoats, or glazes.

Next up we have Mod Podge Paper Matte.  This one, as I explained in my first Mod Podge post, has a bit of a yellow tint to it.  You can’t really tell if you put on just a few very thin layers, but if you glob it on you can tell.  However, it does give this flower a LITTLE bit of a lighter look than the others, which I’m guessing is because of the opaque yellow tint of this Mod Podge.  The Paper Mod Podge is supposed to be archival which means that your project won’t turn yellow over time.  Not sure why the Mod Podge is yellowish to start out with, though.  It has a slightly more matte look than the regular Mod Podge Matte.

Finally here is Mod Podge Gloss.  As you can see it is quite glossy!  It is easier to see the glossiness in the photo with the black background due to the angle of the photo.

I have a couple photos of the one with the liquid sealer as well.  I wanted to include these so you could compare the look and whether either product made the coils come looser.  They didn’t, as long as I followed the rule of light layers!

And just for comparison, so you can see that the coils weren’t disturbed much by the Mod Podge or sealant, here is a plain one.

If you are using Mod Podge, or any other sealant or topcoat, on shapes like these, and you are having trouble with your coils coming undone, read this post on how to prevent that.  The rule is several very light layers, the first layer being the lightest!

In a few days I’ll be posting the next post in the series, about using Mod Podge on loose rolls.  A bit trickier!

If you have any particular questions about Mod Podge, feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer! Leave a comment here or email me at Honey@HoneysQuilling.com

View all of the Mod Podge posts here:

Part 1 – The Different Finishes

Part 2 – Tight Rolls

Part 3 – Moderately Tightly Rolled Designs (Tight Flowers)

Part 4 – Looser Rolled Designs (Loose Flowers)

Part 5 – Overview and Conclusion

Stick around and check out some of the other fun stuff on the blog!

Click here to view FREE paper quilling tutorials!

Click here to view paper quilling tips and tricks!

Click here to view a list of places to buy quilling supplies around the world!

Click here to view some of my own quilling projects, with tips so you can make your own if you’d like!

*All products and supplies in this post I purchased on my own.

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