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.
Good Afternoon!
I received my decals today and I cannot wait to get started. Thank you very much!
cindy
Thanks for sharing!!
I would try it , first surching for the paper ( Holland)
Groetjes!!
I found you via Pinterest, These labels you have created are so cool! I have shared on my Facebook Page. I will be making these myself ! Thanks for sharing!
Is there another place anyone knows of to find these jars? It appears they are no longer at Ikea :(
Hi Becky
IKEA has an alternative now called KORKEN which is available in fewer sizes though try Googling “clip top jar” (with an image search). You should find lots :-)
Kristine
I found some at Crate And Barrell! WOOHOO. Now I am off to go buy your rubons for the jars. Thank you for a great idea!
Hi! I just wanted to say how much I love your blog site and these sweet little decals. I hope it’s okay that I gave a shout out to you on my blog, regarding how adorable they are! Thanks for such cute inspiration!
Jenny
Hi Jenny
Thank you! Just visited your site. The shout-out was so flattering :-)
Kristine
xoxo
Wonderful!!!
This is ingenious! I love this idea!!
These look great and you make it look easy, too! I have tried similar things and would love your tips on actually applying them – especially how you keep the cylindrical jars from rolling around, and how you get the decals to be horizontal (and not crooked). Do you mark the jars with something that washes off to give yourself a guide?? TIA!
Hi Julie
It was quite a while ago when I completed this project, though from memory I had no trouble with the jars rolling around (if you have had this problem though you could simply wedge them between something – like food cans or tea towels). I didn’t mark the jars prior to application, though I have a pretty good eye and the decals have a bit of slip so repositioning them is easy. You could always pre measure and mark (perhaps with a whiteboard marker) if you weren’t confident about eyeing the application (as waterslide decals are quite wet, if possible, it might be best to mark the inside of the jars).
Kristine
I just found you through Mason Jar Love. Thank you for the labels. And I still didn’t know that decal paper was made. Thanks.
Popping over from Mason Jar Love, these are absolutely beautiful. :) And I love your other projects too!
I love this!!! Have had a hard time finding the wooden scoops, do you recall the name of the shop you purchased them from on ebay?
I actually didn’t buy mine from eBay. As mentioned briefly in the post, I stumbled across them one day in a dollar type store though I added the eBay link as a more universal source (as I have seen them on there before) because I knew there would be questions about them.
I’m not certain which country you’re in, though here are some options:
Etsy
Amazon
Google Image Search
Hope this helps.
Kristine
Thank you very much.Love them.
These are some good ideas. Thank you for posting.
I love this tutorial! What a great idea of labeling your jars or anything for that matter. So simple too. Thank you so much for sharing!
Great tips… But Photoshop for typographic labels? Yikes, photoshop is for photos…
Photoshop was designed for photos though actually has many uses due to its extensive nature. I don’t have a purpose design program (like Illustrator) and personally find simple desktop publishing programs (like Word) can be constrictive. I actually tried designing these label graphics in Word initially though got frustrated with text placement issues. I’m just personally most comfortable with Photoshop, though of course, to each their own :-)
I sell the magic coating and decal paper in the United States. I will ship to other countries. My website is http://www.robinseggcetera.com
If you have any questions please email me.
I would really like to use this method for one of my packaging projects, but looking at laminators in the $20-$30 range, they don’t really have temperature control. The best I could find was a hot/cold Royal Sovereign laminator which wouldn’t strain my budget too much. You said to use a low temperature, and I’m not sure how hot this would get. I don’t want to purchase it if it wouldn’t work because I really have no other use for a laminator, just these types of lables. If a laminator were to be too hot, what would that do to this project?
Tannith
When I first trialled this project I used quite a good laminator with temperature control which was borrowed from a friend. I have subsequently bought my own (for $20) which simply has the hot/cold settings you mentioned. The decal instructions specify using a low temperature though my laminator works just fine set on hot. The only problem (if you can even call it that) that I once noticed, was when I had been running the laminator constantly for around 40 minutes. It must have started to get over-hot and the paper came out with strange wet looking spots on it. They dried after about five minutes and seemed to cause no issues though.
Hope this info helps.
Kristine
Wow this is great!!! Thanks for posting the printable en editable labels!!!
You’re simply amazing! They are so perfect it’s crazy! You mention to use a ink jet printer would it work with a laser jet printer?
Hi Sara
You can use either. The decal paper comes in two forms – each specially formulated for use with either inkjet or laser printers. Just buy the one which suits your needs.
My understanding is that because laser printers produce much more heat than inkjet printers the laser paper is designed to withstand higher temperatures.
Kristine
Can I use a laser printer?
Never mind
This is amazing! I found this link on Pinterest. I’m moving into my first place in April and I plan on doing this! I love it! Thanks for sharing! :)
I have a question ; What is the magic paper… where we can buy it ?
Hi Melissa
As touched-on in the post, the Magic Paper is like a fine film which gives the waterslide decals a protective coating. Ordinarily, waterslide decals are protected by a coat of acrylic spray sealer. The Magic Coating replaces the sealer and is more durable and doesn’t yellow over time. It is bonded to the waterslide paper using a laminator.
There are two sources for purchasing the Magic Paper listed at the end of the post in the ‘At a Glance’ section.
Kristine
Can you have these laminated professionally such as a a teacher supply store here in the US?
Just wondering because sometimes they use a high heat process.
To be honest Brenda, I’m not totally certain as I’ve only ever used my little domestic laminator. I guess you could only try – it will either work or not, I s’pose.
Kristine
Love. The organisation is fantastic!
So creative, I love it!
Thanks for sharing.
Ideas are flowing. I grow and preserve my own herbs (including odd ones that I use for tea like rose hips, rose petals, chamomile, etc. I am thinking of Starbucks coffee bottles, labeling and painting lids.