How To Do The Viral Napkin DIY Decor (Without Starting A Fire)

Making your own custom home decor is both fun and an affordable way to add style and personality to your home. Decoupage is one of the most popular crafting techniques that has been used for centuries. It is the process of cutting and pasting pieces of paper (or a similar material) to adorn surfaces with a different color, texture, or pattern. 

There are lots of different variations and creative ways to use decoupage, but have you heard of the viral burning napkin technique? It follows the normal process of decoupage, which is sticking paper (or a napkin in this case) onto a surface using Mod Podge, but instead of spending a long time trimming the edges of your project, which can often lead to an imperfect finish, you use fire to accurately burn them off. It's also a great way of repurposing paper napkins that you may have lying around the house.

All you need for this project is your chosen surface (like a decorative fall sign) and napkins. Your surface should be made out of either wood or metal to avoid it getting damaged by the effects of fire and to protect the space around you. You'll also need Mod Podge to stick your napkin to your surface and some form of fire starter, like a candle lighter, to set your project alight!

Firstly, choose the best place to perform your decoupage napkin DIY. You'll want to be in an open space with easy access to ventilation. The best place to do this project would be on a big wooden table or work bench, you could even do this outside to be extra safe. Take your picture, sign, or whatever you wish to DIY, apply a good layer of Mod Podge on to it using a paintbrush, and stick your napkin on top of it. Before the Mod Podge dries, set the edges of the napkin alight and the fire will trim the edges that haven't had Mod Podge applied to them. If your surface features holes, make sure to poke holes through the napkin first, as this will help direct the fire. 

To avoid any risk with this project, there are a few key things you want to implement. As you'll be physically handling the project, wearing fireproof gloves is a good idea. Make sure you keep a bucket of water nearby incase the fire did unexpectedly start to spread. Another thing to note is that it's recommended to cut any napkin fly-aways before you burn them to avoid excess smoke, which could not just set off your fire alarm but can stain the piece you are working on.