It has been said that both Marie Antoinette and Queen Victoria both collected and produced decoupage. Prior to scraps, engravings had to be tinted or colored by hand. In addition to decoupage, scraps were used to make Christmas decorations and valentine cards. Today, scraps are very collectible in their own right. The most desirable scraps are those with detailed color and embossing, or those of a certain theme, such as holiday or character scraps.
Decoupage is done by first selecting and preparing a surface.
Next, scraps are selected for the design. Though ready-made scraps are available, any paper item can be used, though it must first be specially prepared before cutting. The arrangement is laid out and the scraps are glued to the surface and varnished. Finish coats of either wax or specialty varnishes are often used to produce different effects. In Italy and throughout Europe in the 18th century decoupage was mostly limited to application on furniture and screens.