last updated 11/19/2009
maureencroft
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Cozy-Cottage.com
Delightfully Shabby Cottage Decor
| Decal Tips! |
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Before &
After
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Decal Ideas
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Tips
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Instructions
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Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) |
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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:
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An old
wooden headboard - painted white & adorned with vintage Bavarian roses
quickly goes from dated to shabby-divine!
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Dresser
drawers
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Candle
holders/candles
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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.
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Switchplates
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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.
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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!
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Galvanized
buckets - these are great for holding towels, kitchen utensils, candles,
seashells or ?
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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?
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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.
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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
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.
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.
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. They
won't adhere to a matte surface! |
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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>
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.
> 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, 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. Have not tried them in the microwave, 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.
Another
question from a customer:
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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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