Making your own decals is a great way to produce the exact image that you want and use it to decorate walls, models, or any hobby or home decor item. There are several ways to make your own decals; which method to use depends on how much time and money you want to spend on the project and how skilled you are with photo editing or graphic software. Simple drawings on contact paper make wall decals that add color and style to a room on a large scale, without spending a lot of money. For hobbyists or commercial decal designers, it may be worth investing in the equipment needed to design and produce decals digitally. Read on to find out how to make decals using 2 different methods.
Step One
Method 1 of 2: How to Make Decals With Hand Drawings: – Sketch out the design on paper, or work on it in photo editing software. For wall decals, create a sketch of the room where you plan to put the design. Make sure it’s somewhat to scale and includes furniture. If you are using software like Photoshop, scan in a picture of the room and add the design to the photo digitally.
Step Two
Figure out how much contact paper you will need, based on your drawing, and purchase it. Contact paper is available in various roll sizes and colors from online stores and home improvement stores. Make sure you buy enough for your project and allocate for mistakes and waste. If you are working on a large area, it’s a good idea to buy in bulk to save money.
Step Three
Remove the paper from the wall. Make adjustments as necessary until you are satisfied with the look.
Step Four
Spread out the contact paper on a flat surface. Use weights in the corners if it’s a large piece that slips. Place the paper design on top of the contact paper. Trace the design onto the contact paper with a felt tip marker. Cut it out carefully with sharp scissors.
Step Five
Open the image in Photoshop or other software program. Make adjustments as needed to colors and shapes. Resize the image so that it fits the space you want to cover.
Step Six
Print out the decal on plain white paper. Check the color, brightness and contrast to make sure the printed version has the results you want.