Greetings,
It has been years since I helped my daughter with mod podge projects but, they do work.
Also, you can experiment very cheaply with a home-made mod podge recipe of glue and water
at a ratio of 3 parts glue (either Elmers glue, so-called school glue, or carpenters glue) to 1 part water.
Examples: 1 cup of glue to 1/3 cup water, 1 ounce of glue to 1/3 ounce water, 3 ounces of glue to 1 ounce of water
You get the idea, so you can mix a small batch and try it on some scrap wood.
THIS WILL BE A MATTE FINISH so, if you want a glossy finish you can add a small amount of water based varnish to
make the finish shinier.
Here's one recipe
http://lulastic.co.uk/thrifty-2/homemade-mod-podge/ and you can search mod podge for lots more
recipes on the net but, don't make it too runny.
God Bless! Spirithorse