Vinyl Decals on Alcohol Ink Stained Wood Signs



A few weeks ago I tried staining some wooden plaques from Dollar Tree with alcohol ink. It worked pretty well (for the most part), so I decided to turn them into some signs.


I wanted to make the fun multicolored sign (made with plastic wrap application of alcohol ink) into a sign that referenced the 80s in some way. So I found a little frame and some font that reminded me of those letters you could buy (in the 70s and 80s) to iron on to t-shirts and whipped up a little design.


I wasn't too sure about what to do with the purple one until I saw this week's free design in the Silhouette store and knew it would be perfect. After I measured my signs and resized everything in Silhouette Studio, I opted to throw a couple of Santas up there to fill in the width of the white vinyl sheet I was cutting so I didn't end up with a weird L shaped leftover. :) Hopefully those will get used in a few months to make something festive.


I loaded my vinyl onto a mat in my old Cameo (it loads into the machine straighter on the mat--and yes, I know I need to move my right roller over--it left a bit of a mark on the vinyl but worked fine otherwise). I set the design to cut twice because my blade is a bit dull and then I let it go.


After the machine had cut the design, I used a scissors to separate each of the designs and got out my weeding pick.


I pulled off the excess vinyl and used the pick to help it along in any of the places it was tucked in. Even after setting it to cut twice, one of the letters didn't cut completely, so I had to use a craft knife to cut the vinyl loose. Then I used the pick to pull the vinyl out of all the letters.


I used some paper transfer tape cut to the size of the decal to move the vinyl from the paper backing to the sign.


As I pulled back the transfer tape, I noticed a bit of the alcohol ink was transferring to the tape. Fortunately it wasn't enough to cause any light areas on the wood since the ink soaked in, but it's something to watch out for if you use the same method to stain your wood. I opted not to seal the wood at all before the vinyl decals were applied, so I'll keep note of how it all holds up.


After the transfer tape was peeled back, it turned out just the way I had imagined. Now I can use it to display childhood photos. I haven't decided if I'm going to attach a clip or something to attach a photo, but for now, I can just use sticky tack or gel tape...or like we would in the 80s, a push pin.


I repeated the process for the second sign. This one was a much daintier design, and it also didn't cut through in a couple spots. I was swearing a lot while I was weeding this one trying to keep it intact. Needless to say, I immediately ordered a blade replacement once I finished this project.


I thought my stress about the weeding was fairly ironic given the message of the sign, but it still turned out great once I peeled back the transfer tape. There was a spot where the outline box got a bit wavy, but I'm going to take the advice of the sign and not worry about it. :)


I was really pleased with how well these turned out. The white vinyl really pops on the colored backgrounds. I look forward to making more colorful signs with alcohol ink!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Plastic Wrap Alcohol Ink on Small Ceramic Bowl

Image
A while back I picked up some small white bowls from Big Lots ( these look similar ) with a nice satin finish. I already inked one bowl using the flame method , but I still have a few bowls left, so I decided to give one the plastic wrap treatment. I got out my craft mat and some alcohol inks . Then I cleaned my bowl with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and removed the sale sticker from the bottom. I tore a piece of plastic wrap off the roll that was large enough to cover my bowl, and I set it down on my craft mat, being sure not to smooth it out. Then I dripped ink on the plastic wrap until I liked the combination of colors and the plastic was mostly full of color. Then I placed my bowl in the center of the plastic wrap and carefully applied the plastic wrap to the sides without smoothing it out too much (so it keeps the wrinkled pattern). Then I flipped it over to dry. I ended up using 7 colors on the bowl. I wanted something bright and fun so I we
Read more

Splatter Resist Alcohol Ink Tile

Image
I still have some ceramic tiles left from my last run to the hardware store, so when I remembered I had saved the contact paper heart from my Valentine's Day Glass Etching project, I knew exactly what I wanted to try. I grabbed some bright alcohol inks , canned air , a 6 inch ceramic tile , and my contact paper heart. I originally cut it out free hand by folding the contact paper, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I'm sure if you have a cutting machine you could use that to make whatever shape you'd like in contact paper or vinyl. I peeled back the paper backing and applied the heart to the middle of the tile (as best as I could eyeball it). Then I rubbed down the edges of the contact paper. I squeezed out a drop of alcohol ink near the edge of the heart and used canned air to blow the drop out from the center of the tile. I usually hold the can with my right hand and a plastic lid with my left (I use the lid from the small plastic box I keep
Read more

Alcohol Ink Washer Necklaces

Image
I received a package of alcohol inks for Christmas and then bought a second set with a 50% off coupon at Michael's.  I've used them now to make coasters and to decorate some candle holders .  I was just getting my sea legs with these inks to begin with.  I applied the ink directly onto the surfaces and played around with rubbing alcohol as a blending solution.  But I thought it was high time that I used an applicator to use them the way they were intended.  Of course, the applicator is just a stamp with some velcro on it and it costs 6+ dollars....not to mention buying the pre-cut pieces of felt. So I figured I'd make my own.  I was very much in a use what you've got mentality, so I grabbed a scrap piece of wood and a couple of strips of velcro (hook and loop tape).  I used the hook side and lined two pieces up next to each other.  Luckily they were just the right width. I had the sew-on kind of velcro, so I spread some tacky glue thinly onto the surface
Read more