Stickers and decals come in all shapes and sizes, that might be logo stickers, product labels or laptop stickers. But they are also for your next home make over.
The brilliant thing about using stickers and decals is that they create an immediate effect at a low-cost with minimal effort. So the question is why wouldn’t you include them in your next DIY project?
ones are perfect for your home. The sticker universe is filled with all sorts of terms: labels, graphics, decals, stickers. All these words refer to adhesive-backed paper or plastic pieces that can be printed on.
It can, however, be helpful to keep the distinctions sticker makers make in mind. Stickers are cut individually, while labels come on sheets. This makes labels perfect for product labels. Decals, on the other hand, are larger pieces of vinyl, still individually cut. Since stickers used in and around the home are usually largely designs applied to walls or similar surfaces, these are referred to as decals.
Wall decals are different from usual vinyl stickers. Instead of printed, your design will be cut from a piece of vinyl and then weeded. This makes every single element of your design peelable. Below, you find a profile of a wall decal to illustrate that.
- The individual parts of your sticker are held together by a transparent, removable transfer tape.
- Your design is cut from a single piece of vinyl. Ideal for bold and minimalist designs.
- Then, a permanent, medium-strength adhesive is applied. This will not leave any residue when you want to remove it from your walls.
- Lastly, a thick backing paper makes them easy to peel.
Now that we know what exactly wall decals are, let us look at how to best apply them.
Clean the surface
You should keep this in mind as the first step when applying any sticker. We recommend using an alcohol-based cleaner to disinfect the surface you are looking to apply your stickers to.
This ensures that no fluff or dirt gets caught under the vinyl, creating unnecessary bubbling.
Take your time
The correct application is all about patience. We recommend starting by flipping your sticker, so you are looking at the backing paper, and putting it on a clean, flat surface.
Then you slowly start to peel the backing paper away, starting at a corner. You want to keep your sticker as close to the surface as possible for this.
When you have peeled the backing paper, pick your sticker up by its corners and lightly position it where you need it. Do not apply too much pressure, as this will allow you to correct the positioning.
Work from the centre
Once you have found the perfect position, use a credit card or your thumb to apply pressure. We recommend starting in the centre and pressing down firmly, creating small circles.
No need to put too much pressure on, as this might overstretch the material. With the right amount of pressure, you can easily remove all bubbles and imperfections.
Leave your decals to sit
For the perfect result, you want to give your sticker 24 hours to bond with the surface and really let the adhesive do its work. This is of course optional, but it will make for a better end result.
Now you can stand back and admire your work!
We hope you found these tips helpful, and maybe we even inspired you to give custom vinyl stickers a try? They are perfect for so many applications and will elevate your space within minutes. If you are already using stickers around your home, we would love to see them. Feel free to post a picture in the comments below.