Framed Chandelier Decal Tutorial

I have wanted another picture for the wall in my bedroom, and I knew I wanted to do something to tie in the chandelier theme in the master bath, but I hadn't been inspired until I saw this project at The Diary of Daves Wife Blog.

I took her idea and changed it up a bit based upon things I already had on hand, and the purchase of a vinyl chandelier decal.

To do this project, you will need:

• Frame
• Double Mat for a picture frame a size smaller than your frame
• Wrapping Paper
• Poster Board
• Scotch Tape
• Tombow Mono Permanant Adhesive
• A Ruler
• A Vinyl Decal

I had this huge frame from frameusa.com. I had neglected to order the right size mat for it, so it was just sitting unused.

Inspired by The Diary of Daves Wife Blog project, and the desire to integrate a chandelier into my bedroom because the master bath is filled with them, I ordered this vinyl decal from NothinbutVinyl on Etsy for $15.99 (including shipping).

I knew I wanted to give the piece a little dimension, so I grabbed these mats I had for a smaller frame. Since they were already in black and white, I didn't have to do anything to them.

Next, I grabbed my black and white damask wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby.

On this project, I used regular Scotch tape, and my favorite Tombow Mono Permanent Adhesive.

These large frames come with plastic on both sides of the acrylic or glass, and you have to make sure you remove this or your vinyl will not stick.

Using the wrapping paper, I "wrapped" the piece of cardboard that is the backer for the frame. I just used tape on the back so I could change out the paper for another color later, if I wanted.

Using my Tombow roller adhesive, I glued the two mat boards together so I wouldn't have to worry about them separating.

Then I placed them in the center of the back board, using a ruler to make sure the spacing was even.

Then I placed the board and mats inside the frame. I was a little concerned about the black on black, so I didn't glue the mat boards down at this point. You'll see why, later.

This is what it looks like with the pieces together. As soon as I saw this, I realized that I may have a problem and there might not be enough contrast between the background and the black decal. I decided to apply the decal first and then decide if I needed to make a change.

Following the instructions that go with the decal, I cleaned the surface of the piece first. Then I peeled the back away from the transfer (you can see it peeled away that the top right), and placed the sticky side of the vinyl onto the surface. Then you just rub like crazy to get all the little bubbles out. 

The final step is to peel the transfer tape away at an angle to make sure that the vinyl stays on the surface. (If it doesn't you just lay the backer down again, rub, and then peel away the backer again).

As you can see, you can barely see the transfer over the busy  background.

So, the next morning, I ran over to Dollar General, and for .55 cents, I got a piece of poster board, which I cut down to size. I placed that under the mat boards, and glued all three down to the surface.

And this is what the final piece looks like! (Pardon the flash reflection!)

And here it is in my room. That room is still "in progress", as well, but I'm very happy with the final piece! My thanks to Kristy at The Diary of Daves Wife Blog for the inspiration for this project!

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