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| Decal Tips! |
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(Clicking these links will scroll the page to the relevant section.)
 - Before & After
- Decal Ideas
- Tips
- Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- MORE PAGES |
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| Before & After |
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| Here's some inspiration for you - click on any picture to see the full size picture. These are some projects I recently created for my guest bedroom redo. |
 This gorgeous white wicker "breakfast in bed" tray is for my guest room - all it needs is some tea & toast, & a few issues of "Romantic Homes". It was broken, so I got it for $2.99 - thanks Goodwill!
 This old 70's peg rack makes a charming & convenient place for my guests to hang hats, jewelry, etc.
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This is an old 70's cabinet - designed to hold extra rolls of TP. Cost $4.99 & now I have a perfect tea cabinet for my guests - holds a teacup in the center space, and teabags, sugar & a tea warmer behind the doors.
Also, the "Trompe L'oeil" Decals make this cabinet a fun conversation piece - 3 "faux" postcards, some earrings & a bracelet look like someone casually tossed them down. But look closer! They are all Trompe L'oeil (French for "fool the eye")
This old board was a freebie - a piece of old fenceboard from my friend Crystal's fence redo. I hung this over the door to my guest room for a rosy "welcome".
Shabby handpainted rose architectural headers are HUGE sellers on eBay - but they can cost hundreds of dollars! This lovely alternative was created with decals available in my eBay store.
This HUGE old hospital tray made a great impromtu table out of my wicker laundry hamper - I store an extra blow up mattress in the hamper, along with the pump. Nowthis tray makes it a cute place next to the corner chair where my guests can rest a cup of tea & a book. | |
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| Decal Ideas: |
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Here are some of my favorite "canvases" to adorn with beautiful vintage roses:
- An old wooden headboard - painted white & adorned with vintage Bavarian roses quickly goes from dated to shabby-divine!
- Dresser drawers
- Candle holders/candles
- Garage sale tables - any junky old side table becomes an instant French "Trompe L'oeil" conversation piece with some white chippy paint and lovely rose "postcards" & faux jewelry.
- Switchplates
- Odd side chairs - again, garage sale finds become a shabby chic focal point - those DeLongpre yardlong decals are so yummy on the back of a shabby old chair.
- Dollar store trays - use a good primer on these first, then white paint, a "Granny Green" border, and adorn the center with some beautiful china roses for a stunning wall accent. Group several in different shapes for impact - shabby wow!
- Galvanized buckets - these are great for holding towels, kitchen utensils, candles, seashells or ?
- Plain Wooden Picture Frames - pick these up at garage sales or goodwill for nothing, paint white, add roses, use pretty torn handmade paper or some vintage lace or ribbon for a mat & add your favorite shabby rose print - what could be more shabbyliscious?
- Wooden Boxes - I picked up a few of these at Michael's, painted them white, decaled them & topcoated with Delta Ceramcoat, then rubbed stain over the whole thing to "age" them. Makes such a beautiful grouping - and I can use them to display teapots at different levels on a shelf.
- You can create an entire set of "heirloom" china for a spectacularly shabby wall display - just go to your local dollar store & purchase clear glass plates. Apply your decals to the back of the plate, sponge a border in the color of your choice, & spraypaint the whole plate back white. Hang with plate hangers. Instant shabby-WOW!
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| Decal Instructions |
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You'll notice that a few extra decals are included in your package - if you haven't used water-slide decals before, use these to practice with.
Carefully cut out the decal from the sheet and dip the decal in a cup of warm water for 60 seconds. Placing the decal between your fingers, "feel" if the decal slides from the paper.
If it does, you are ready to slide the decal off the backing paper into position on the object. It's best if the object you are decaling has a glossy flat (not rounded) surface. If you wet the surface of the object a little, the decal will slide on better.
Gently blot excess water and remove any air bubbles with a damp rag or a wet paper towel.
Allow to dry. Apply a few coats of spray varnish (like Krylon) or a brush on varnish (like Delta Ceramcoat)
Above all, be creative and have fun!
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| Decal Tips |
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You'll get the best results if you use your decals on a white or cream colored, glossy surface.
I have best results with glossy painted surfaces - my 2 favorites are painted furniture and painted galvanized metal.
It's easiest to reposition your decals and get them just where you want them if you apply them to a glossy surface.
They won't adhere to a matte surface!
If the item being decorated has a "matte" finish, you can prepare it with a base coat of glossy clearcoat & let it dry (I use Delta Ceramcoat from Michael's) That way the decal slides into position & adheres well. |
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Hi, Can these decals be fired in a kiln? Thank you
Hi, Susan! No they can't be fired in a kiln - you need to search for "ceramic decals" or "c decals" for decals to be used in a kiln. These are craft decals, like the old fashioned Meyercord decals Mom used to decorate with. Thanks for visiting my store!
> Hi, I'm looking for rose decals in purples/lavenders. It's hard to tell the colors because the computer doesn't show the actual color that well. Any help you can provide would be appreciated. Thank you
Hi, Michelle! You are right! It's very hard to tell actual colors on a monitor. Three factors are involved:
1) Each monitor displays colors differently.
2) The colors on your monitor are composed of light, and the colors on paper are composed of pigment, so they just look different.
3) Colors are very subjective - my mauve might be your lilac!
If you must match colors exactly, you really need to buy your items at a local store, sorry!
> Dear cosycottage,
> What do they work best on? Would they
> go on a plain unpainted wooden tray,
porcelain plate, metal? Thanks, > Eleanor
Hi, Eleanor!
I have best results with glossy painted surfaces - my 2 favorites are painted furniture and painted galvanized metal.
About these:
> unpainted wooden tray,
Only if the wood were very white - the decals have a transparent background, so must be used on white, cream, or a very light color.
You can use one of the extra "practice" decals to see what I mean. The colors won't show up very well on anything dark.
> clear glass plate,
Only if you applied them to the back of the plate and then painted the back white after applying them .
The decals have a transparent background, and they are clear and don't show up well on clear glass. This is why they are easy to combine into different shaped compositions - like a seamless collage.
> porcelain plate,
Yes, I've done quite a few designs on plain white porcelain plates & have been really happy with how they turned out. It's also nice to work on porcelain because you can slide your decals around & get them just where you want them before letting them dry & coating them with topcoat.
But don't use the plate for food - they are mainly for display - for hanging on the wall or displaying on a plate stand. After you've topcoated the decals with 2 or 3 coats of delta ceramcoat, you can safely wipe the plate down with a damp sponge when it's dusty.
> metal
If it's light in color, it might work - painted metal is better. (shiny metal won't show the design very well)
I've painted lots of galvanized metal containers and then decorated them with decals - that's really my favorite!
Painted furniture is one of the best surfaces too.
Have fun being creative!
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> Dear cosycottage,
> could you tell me if by any chance these (on porcelain) would go in the dishwasher, fridge, or microwave?
No... although there are "super tough" glazes you can buy at Michael's or JoAnne which say they are dishwasher & microwave safe...
I don't trust them though, so I handwash & don't put the plates in the fridge. Have not tried them in the microwave or fridge, but I wouldn't try it, they are delicate.
These decals are just like the old meyercord decals - for use on furniture, decorative accessories, kitchen items, shelves, etc.
But then maybe you have more experience than I do with those super tough glazes. You could always try it - today's glazes are supposedly as tough as porcelain. But I have no experience with it & make no promises!
Another question from a customer:
> Dear cosycottage,
>Do you know if these decals will stick to a surface painted with semigloss paint? Once these decals are applied to a surface, and have entirely dried, are easy to take off? Thank you, Theresa
Hi, Theresa! Semigloss is typically glossy enough, but to get the best results you might want to undercoat with a glossy clearcoat - that's what I do. Then I topcoat them with a couple coats of matte clearcoat (for both glossy & clear I use Delta Ceramcoat from Michael's)
Once you topcoat them, they are stuck on pretty good - I have never tried to remove them after topcoating.
I have removed them if they weren't topcoated though. You can soak them off the painted surface just like you soaked them off the paper backing. Hope that makes sense - good questions - thanks!
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| MORE PAGES |
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I have TONS of pages online for more decal tips and decorating ideas - here are some helpful guides I've written to help you achieve "delightfully shabby decor" on a shoestring:
Shabby Chic Decor Tips
Trash to Treasure with Decals: Shabby Chic Home Decor
Easy Cheap Crackle Finishes: Shabby Chic Furniture
Confessions of a Lazy Painter: How To Paint Stuff QUICK
Top 10 Furniture Painting Shortcuts & Tips
Shabby Chic: How to Distress Painted Furniture
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