How To Make Stamper Decals

Yesterday I mentioned Stamper Decals. Decals are images printed on some other substance that are then applied to the nails. There are all kinds of images you can buy online and in the stores, but here is a way to make some at home using your stamping plates. Using this technique you can color in the stamped images before applying them to your nails.

 Check out how after the jump.


I just learned this technique a few months ago from Messy Mansion and fell in love with the idea you can color in your stamps. So here is how I made my Paisley decals.

Here is my practice nail. I applied the paisleys one at a time, and I think I'll do it that way all the time. Trying to do the full nail all at once is what gave me wrinkles, I believe. So step one, stamp just like you would normally do but stop after picking up your image on the stamper. Like this:

Here is the stamp I'm gonna use, BM 315.

Isolating one paisley (we call them pregnant pickles in my house. No idea why.) means just painting over the one you want to use.

Scraping the image will draw paint into the lower pickles (paisleys, whatever) so when you pick up the image with the stamper they probably will show up too.

Like this, but just scrape off what you don't want. I wouldn't use remover because you don't want to damage the image you will use and remover has a tendency to run a bit where it shouldn't go. Don't worry bout the image drying, you want it to at this point.

Here is the image we will use. At this point I like to paint over it with a clear coat. Just over the image, you don't have to paint the whole stamper. You can wait till after you color it in to coat it with clear, but I like to at this point so the color won't smear or damage the stamped lines.

Color in the image with a paint brush or dotting tool or toothpick, whatever. Be careful using hard instruments to color with and don't dig into the stamper. Not only would that scratch the image below but you might damage your stamper as well.

After it has dried use your dotting tool or orange stick or tweezers to release the decal from the stamper.

Here you can see it lifting up.

I like to trim the image a bit so the clear doesn't muddy the base color all that much. Paint the nail with a slower drying clear coat and place your image. If it hangs over trim it up either before or after placing it, what ever is easiest for you.

Coat the whole nail with a faster drying topcoat and you are done!!

Oh, you know how I mentioned doing the paisley a pickle at a time instead of the whole image at once or it wrinkles up? This is what I meant.

I picked up and colored the whole image instead of one pickle at a time.

When I placed it on my finger it wrinkled in the middle. All well, live and learn.