asking for trouble

Fun with Decals Part 2

Finished Expedit with Spoonflower decals

As expected, the weather hasn’t been ideal for photos but I’ve done my best. My IKEA Expedit is now finished and all decorated with decals from Spoonflower. I really love it!

The two cupboard doors have sections from Arctic and Antarctic maps from the 1920s, which I found in my pictorial encyclopedia. I love the colours and the Unexplored areas and how the furthest point of all the Antarctic expeditions are marked.

Cupboard doors

For the drawers, I used my own zig zag polka dots pattern and made a version using the yellow and blue from the maps, plus a similar shade of pink.

Drawers

It all worked out perfectly. The IKEA drawers and cupboards are all 33cm square, which fits fine on a 15″ decal. For the maps, I scanned them in and then cropped them to the right size leaving a white margin, so that I could be sure they’d look good. For the polka dots, I just covered the whole decal and cut out the right sized pieces for the drawers. That was a bit annoying as the decals have rounded corners so I had to measure them  from inside that. If I did it again, I would probably make the shapes with a border for cutting.

Application was really easy too. You just wipe down the surface with a damp cloth, leave it to dry and then apply carefully. It’s easy to remove and reapply if you go wonky and there’s a plastic squeegee included for smoothing out any bubbles. I didn’t get any bubbles but it was handy for the corners. I just poked holes where the door knobs went and screwed them back in. The whole process only took me a couple of hours and most of that was measuring.

Spoonflower decals

It was expensive though, since the decals are $15 each, but they’re great quality and look like they’ll last a long time. I’m really pleased with the finished thing and it really makes it unique and totally me. You can see bigger pics on my Flickr, if you like.

I made the map colourway of the dots pattern available in my Spoonflower shop, so you can buy it on decals or fabric if you like. I have a few trimmings left, which I’ll definitely be using for something else.

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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