Tips and Tricks when working with REDESIGN DÉCOR TRANSFERS®

I originally wrote this October 2018.

"Hi everyone! I finished my first transfer and wanted to give what I hope will be some helpful feedback.

I already had my furniture pieces painted but knew I wanted to glam the set up with the Rose Celebration transfer. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SHARED THEIR OUTCOMES! Thanks to you, I knew this would be the perfect set to use it on.

I followed all these recommendations: -Make sure paint was fully dried, preferably 2 days -Apply transfer PRIOR TO sealing -Make sure transfer AND furniture were not in the heat or too warm. Place in freezer for 10 minutes if needed. -Take time to go inch by inch when applying

I feel very pleased with the outcome. With that said, I have some precautions/tips.

1. Even with following the above guidelines, I still found some parts of the transfer did not want to fully adhere right away. MAKE SURE TO RUB UP & DOWN, RIGHT TO LEFT. This helped. Take little peeks as you are peeling. If it didn't all adhere, keep rubbing! This is especially true for the edges of the transfer. The more edges a transfer has, the more rubbing to do.

2. With a large transfer like the Rose Celebration, although it is already cut into 6 sections, they are still large enough to need some special handling. I'd recommend rolling the transfer in the opposite direction (with caution and the backing still on) to help it lay more flat. (I ACTUALLY USE THE ROUND TUBE IT COMES IN.) Since I was working on a piece with recessed and protruding areas, it was difficult to simply tape it in place. When the transfer sheet curves, the sticky side can catch the plastic and stick, which means you already have a transfer that is not 100% intact. Working with smaller pieces was better for me, just more work to line it all up.

3. Know that when you are working on a piece with recessed areas (like the trim around the drawers) you will not be able to get the transfer to adhere perfectly. I would rub it on flat then use my finger to push it in the grooves. THE TRANSFER WILL CRACK AND THAT'S OK.) One way to make this flaw look right is to go over that area with some color. In this case I used gold leaf. Sooo much better!

4. Since some parts of my transfer didn't stick or perfectly match up, I decided to distress the transfer LIGHTLY to give it a worn look. Then, I added light brush strokes of the same gold leaf in spots that I felt were noticeable, to tie it all together."

I'll add these tips:

1. Bigger transfers that need to line up can be intimidating. Maybe start with a transfer that you can cut and place as you'd like, or a smaller one that doesn't need to be lined up perfectly. An example of this would be the new transfers LUSH FLORAL I and BUTTERFLY DANCE

Also, transfers with lots of edges, such as script writing, take more effort because each little piece is like a separate transfer, whereas a large flower is a solid piece.

2. Make sure to think out placement before peeling the backing off. Once the backing is off, it will not adhere to the backing again as well. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING IN AN AREA WITHOUT TOO MUCH BREEZE. PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS...

3. Have scissors and/or a precision knife or blade near by.

4. After you apply the piece of transfer, gently rub over with your hand or the transfer paper smoothly to make sure the entire piece adhered.

5. If you have any minor imperfections, you can slightly/moderately dsstress the transfer to give an aged look. DO NOT USE A LOW GRIT PAPER OR BLOCK. And make sure to do #4 FIRST.

6. Sealing the piece will make the color pop more and help to hide some of the transfer edges/halo. You can use clear wax, a clear coal like Dixie Belle's Clear Coat or like a polyurethane.

Please comment with any questions or feedback.

Thanks!

~Tina