Some of you may remember, a little while back I posted a tutorial for DIY waterslide decals.
Among other things, I mentioned how awesome they are for creating custom embellishments without the need for any fancy-pants equipment. Yep, waterslide decal paper is a truly fab product, though as great as it is, there is one drawback – although it’s somewhat tough it’s not especially durable. So, whilst it’s perfect for ornamental purposes, it’s not ideal for more practical applications…until now that is!
Magic decal coating paper is a product designed to be used in conjunction with standard decal paper to make the finished transfers super durable – yes, even dishwasher resistant!
If you’re already familiar with magic decal coating paper then please excuse my tardy excitement, though for everyone else who is just getting to the party now too, feel free to start throwing the streamers!
My recently acquired assortment of SLOM jars from IKEA were awaiting some DIY craftiness and seemed the perfect candidates for my first magic decal experiment.
As there may be several brands of magic decal coating paper out there, each with slightly differing application requirements, for clarity in this tutorial I will specifically pertain to the particular product I used which I attained from here. The paper seems a little pricey though you can create several decals from one sheet so in reality the individual decals are actually quite inexpensive.
The paper I received came with three sheets of waterslide decal paper (distinguished by a blue watermark on the back) which you print your image onto, and three accompanying sheets of the magic coating paper (distinguished by attached translucent protective paper).
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
1 Image to transfer.
Use anything you like. I made up my canister labels in Photoshop though a standard publishing program would be fine too. I wanted them to be a bit different and quite typographic so decided to style them based on dictionary definitions (my artwork is attached as a free printable if you would like to use them – see the ‘At a Glance’ section at the end of the post to view and download!).
2 Printer.
You can use either a laser or an inkjet printer. The decal paper comes in two varieties, designed specifically for the type of printer you plan to use. Just make sure to purchase the right paper for you. I used an inkjet printer.
3 Decal paper (blue watermark on back).
Decal paper comes in clear or white. I’m using the clear paper because I want a transparent background around my image.
4 Magic paper (attached translucent protective paper).
5 Laminator.
Basic laminators can be bought for around $15 from most office supply and department stores.
6 Scissors.
7 Water.
8 Soft cloth.
9 Item to embellish.
As already mentioned, I’m using my plain SLOM jars from IKEA.
10 Microwave, oven or hairdryer.
THE PROCESS
1 Print your image onto the glossy side of your decal paper (DO NOT mirror your image). Allow to dry thoroughly. I created my canister labels in Photoshop and have attached them below as a free printable (see the ‘At a Glance’ section at the end of the post to view and download!).
2 Separate the translucent protective paper from the magic paper. Do not throw the translucent paper away.
3 Place the magic paper gloss side up on your table. Lay the decal paper printed side down on top of the magic paper. Place the translucent protective paper gloss side down on top of the decal paper (the translucent paper is designed to act as a protective barrier of sorts between the decal paper and laminator heat).
Note: As my image took up the entire sheet of decal paper I did not need to trim around it first. If you are working with a smaller image you may wish to cut roughly around it with scissors.
4 Laminate your stack of three papers on low speed and at low temperature.
Note: Laminating pouches are not needed. Laminating is performed to fuse the decal paper and magic coating together. Basic laminators can be bought for around $15 from most office supply and department stores.
5 Discard the translucent paper. Your decal paper and magic paper should now be fused together. Trim closely around your image – you can see it quite easily through the paper if you hold it up to the light.
Note: By nature, waterslide decals have a very fine, slightly translucent carrier film. On close inspection this will be visible on completed transfers. As my image is text alone with no border I experimented with techniques and found the neatest finish to be a nice even box (trying to mimic the outline of the text just looked messy). If your image has a distinct border then trim approximately 2mm all the way around it (leaving a small buffer ensures you get a good seal).
6 Dampen the back of the decal paper (watermarked side) with a cloth until it becomes translucent. Wait around 15 seconds then gently peel the paper away completely.
Important: Ensure you remove the watermarked decal paper only at this stage.
7 Immerse the decal in a shallow dish of water to dampen the other side then position it, image side down, on your item, smoothing it down with your fingers and a slightly damp cloth to remove excess water.
8 Carefully slide off the backing paper and manipulate the decal into its exact position then continue to smooth it until it is water and air bubble free.
9 Finally, set the decal by either:
Baking in an electric oven for 8 minutes at 150 degrees celsius.
Cooking in a microwave for 5 minutes on low.
Blowing with a hairdryer for 5 – 10 minutes.
Although I was hesitant, I did find the courage to run these babies through the dishwasher (twice, just to be certain) and they didn’t show any signs of distress. I was honestly AMAZED! Of course, given I have only had them for a few days I can hardly vouch for their longevity so advise hand washing for frequent use.
As I mentioned, there is a very faint translucent background (which is the case with waterslide decals) though once the canisters are filled it’s barely noticeable. You could choose to use basic clear stickers in place of decals. Just be mindful they will not be as durable and their border and background will be more visible.
I am super stoked with how these turned out – absolutely love! Don’t forget to download your complimentary printable sheets of labels below!
If you’d prefer the labels without the work you can now buy them in easy ready-to-apply format from my little on-line store here.
And excitingly, along with the PDF file, you can also now download the free editable PSD version of my labels below!
Finally, the SLOM range of jars has since been discontinued. KORKEN is IKEA’S new alternative though similar clip-top jars can be found in lots of discount/dollar stores.
SOURCES
Jars (Ikea)
Decal Paper with Magic Coating Paper (Australia – eBay)
Decal Paper with Magic Coating Paper (USA – Robin’s Eggcetera)
Decal Paper with Magic Coating Paper (UK – Crafty Computer Paper)
Wooden Scoops (eBay)
CREDITS
Fonts: Courier New, Another Typewriter, Mrs Eaves Bold
FREE DOWNLOAD
Click here to view and download the printable PDF
Click here to download the editable PSD (for Photoshop users)
Republication, reproduction or redistribution in any form is forbidden.
I
LOVE
YOU.
Thank you so much. Its gorgeous!
LOL! Thanks Anna :-)
The connection through to the Australian source is not an active link…
Hi Rita
I get an active link, it’s just that there are currently no search results because the shop owner is on leave and has temporarily removed her listings. I visited her store and there was a note saying she would be back soon. Is this what you see – the eBay search with no results? Or are you being directed elsewhere?
Kristine
Hi Is there anyway I can just print the downloaded ones I need and get them to print on one page. I just love these decals and idea! I only need baking soda, flour(all purpose), sugar(white), coffee, & ,brown sugar. Please advise. I tried printed them all and the bottom row was cut off on paper.
thanks much any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jessica
Hi Jessica
Hmmm, to be honest I’ve not been contacted by anyone with this problem before and I know LOTS of people who have downloaded and printed these successfully so I’m guessing it might have something to do with your printer settings? Check all your printer properties and make sure you have “fit to page” checked.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further problems.
Kristine
HI I have tried to print your labels using photoshop edit, I do not need them all only want a few to be exact and it wont let me, ANy thoughts?
This is lovely! I have been having a go. I had 2 problems. If I follow your instructions to the letter I found that my lettering is in reverse, therefore I should have reversed my printed text…..or did I do something wrong?
The 2 nd problem was that my printer did a great job on ordinary paper as a print test, but would only print the top quarter on the decal paper. Any idea why?
Hmmm, if you’re finding your text is coming out reversed, you have definitely done something wrong. Using this method you DO NOT need to reverse your text. No idea why you would be having trouble with the decal paper. I print onto my decal paper almost daily and have never had an issue. Sorry I can’t help more. Feel free to contact me again with more detailed info if you keep having trouble.
So lovely!!!! thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks! You’re welcome :-)
This is so cute… my flour and sugar jars are screaming for a little love and this will do the trick nicely! Question though… does it have to be an inkjet printer for the printing or can you use a laser printer? Is it something about using the ink versus the toner? Thanks!
Hi Shannon
You can buy waterslide decal paper to suit either inkjet or laser printers. Laser is probably better actually as it is more fade and water resistant. I simply used inkjet because I have a domestic inkjet printer.
Kristine
I pinned this a month ago. Finally had the opportunity to purchase my glass jars from IKEA and then the paper I ordered came in (from Robbin’s Eggcetera). I completed a few jars using your perfectly done labels (rice, flour and 2 diff sugars) I plan on returning to IKEA in the near future for more jars. It took me a bit to truly make sure I was following the steps correctly as I had never done something quite like this even though I am crafty. Once I got the hang of it, it is truly easy. Thank you for your detailed instructions with pictures as well as links to purchase materials and for making the labels available and for free nonetheless. I appreciate all your effort and am so beyond thrilled with the outcome. Would have loved to include pic to share, but don’t believe it was allowed in comments. Thank you again, this was awesome!
Oh yay! Thanks for letting me know Nancy. So thrilled it worked out well for you! It does sound kinda convoluted in theory, doesn’t it? It’s much more straight-forward when put into practice.
I’d love to see a pic! Feel free to email me: thepaintedhive@gmail.com.
Cheers
Kristine
Do you have an alternative for these labels for use on black plastic spice jar lids? Have just bought a round metal counter top carousel style holder, and little jars with black lids. Seems all labels are BLACK…which is no help at all. Thanks for any help.
Hi Barbara
Waterslide decal paper comes in white too. For that matter, so does regular sticker paper. You could use any adhesive paper with a white background then print black text on top. You could even get fancy with a textured digital background (such as chalkboard or kraft paper – or any decorative pattern) then put your text on top of that. You could then simply cut the labels to fit your spice jar lids. Alternatively, you can have them professionally printed in white on a clear background. There are a few online sticker companies who do this pretty affordably. Another option is white vinyl though vinyl can be really tricky if your intended graphics are small and fine in detail.
Anyhoo, hope this helps. If you need any more advice or help, let me know :-)
why do you have to laminate them? I don’t want to buy a laminator just for this project…..
Hi Kelsey
As mentioned in the tutorial, the lamination heat fuses the coating (magic paper) to the decal (waterslide paper). I have heard from some people who have used an iron instead of a laminator though I’ve not personally tried this. You don’t have to use the magic coating paper though. If you do decide not to use the magic paper, you need to protect the decals with a few fine coats of spray sealer instead. Just be aware this can yellow slightly over time and is not quite as durable as the magic coating.
Kristine
So fun! Cannot wait to make these! I’m curious, do I purchase a pack of paper from both links included on your site listed under your sources? Or do I just need to purchase a pack from either or? Kind of confused on that.
Hi Brook
One of the sources listed is US based, the other is Australian. You only need to purchase from one of them.
Kristine
Found these scoops at crate and barrel and just wanted to share:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/beech-wood-scoop/s202000
Thank for sharing Irene.
A bit more pricey than my $1 (el-cheapo) poplar scoops though the beech is much more refined looking – very pretty.
:-)
Do you think this could work on flat, smooth, river rocks. I wanted to transfer a quote onto the rocks and give as gifts, but wasn’t sure how to go about doing this without having to write on the rocks.
Thank you for your input.
Hi Virginia
Yep, I think it would work! However, instead of the magic coating paper, you might want to seal the decals with spray acrylic. I think it would give the decals a more “invisible” feel as it would help the decal edges blend into the rocks.
Kristine
THANK YOU! I received my decals today and they were perfect for my “apothecary” jars in my “French-themed kitchen”. :-) I love these, and I’ll definitely order again when I need more labels!!
Thanks so much for letting me know Judy. I’m loving that you love them :-)
hello, i had a question in regards to the laminating part of this process.
i was wondering at which temperature did you laminate your work.
thanks
Hi Ella
When I first did this project I was using a borrowed laminator which had heat settings so I think I used low as recommended by the decal company. I have since bought my own cheap laminator with no heat settings and have laminated hundreds of these sheets together with no problems.
Kristine
Hi kristine,
thank you for getting back to me, and thanks for the answer hopefully when i get to do mine tomorrow it would work since i was afraid if the ink would just spread due to the heat.
i also have another question i was wondering if you came across this issue as well, i printed my designs on the paper however some sections were cut out or printed as extra.
and also did you use any particular laminating sheets ?
kinds regards,
ella
Hi again Ella
Firstly, don’t use laminating sheets! As mentioned in the tutorial, the purpose of laminating is to fuse the decal paper and magic coating together. You do not need to use laminating sheets.
If your designs aren’t printing as desired maybe double check your printer properties and document size. I haven’t had any problems with mine.
Hope it all works out for you :)
Hi,
I have tried this twice now and I’m not sure why but my decal ends up feeling a bit fuzzy with what looks like little bubbles underneath. I did completely smooth it out before microwaving. And what type of printer do you suggest for printing?
Hmmm, sorry Marlene, though I don’t know how to help you. I’ve only ever used my oven to set the decals. Using a microwave might be a factor? Mine do have a slight “feel” too though I wouldn’t call it “fuzzy”.
Any inkjet printer should be fine for printing as long as you are using the inkjet paper. Of course, if you want to use a laser printer, you need to use the laser specific paper.
I’ve found a great deal on decal paper, but where do I find just Magic Paper?
Hilda, I think both of the suppliers I have listed at the end of the post sell the Magic Coating paper on its own.
Kristine
Hi
Was wondering where canada can we get the supplies…….i see that you gave usa and australia info but i am in montreal canada and would like to get it from here but to make sure i get the right decal paper and other supplies……can you help
Hmmm, sorry Chedia, though the magic coating paper is pretty rare and I’m not aware of any Canadian suppliers. I’m sure you can get the decal paper itself from Canada (try Googling it or searching some online craft/model stores). You can use the decal paper without the magic coating. You simply need to use a clear spray sealer instead (not quite as good though it does the trick). Otherwise, you can order from the US or Australia with international delivery.
Kristine