We’re sure you’ve heard that the possibilities when it comes to vinyl are endless, but what can you put vinyl decals on?
We make high-quality custom vinyl decals that can be stuck onto anything from wooden mailboxes to car exteriors.
We’ll take you through exactly what materials vinyl will stick to, as well as how to best apply vinyl to these materials.
What This Article Covers:
What Can Vinyl Decals Stick to?
Below are some materials that vinyl sticks well to. If you’ve got a material in mind that isn’t on this list, feel free to contact us. We’ll tell you if we think it’ll work, and how best to do it.
Glass
Vinyl sticks extremely well on glass. You can use vinyl decals to personalize wine glasses for a specific event. You can also use it to decorate your home or shop windows for festive periods like Halloween or Christmas.
Here are some creative ways you can use vinyl on glass:
- Fairy light jars: You can use these as decor for weddings or important parties. You can have personalized vinyl decals made for glass jars, and fill them with battery-operated fairy lights.
- Birthday plaques: If someone in your life is turning 21 soon, why not have a birthday plaque made for them? This can be made with vinyl decals and glass, giving a modern upgrade to the traditional “21st key.”
Before sticking your vinyl decal to glass, make sure the surface is spotless. It’s best to clean the surface with a disinfectant wipe, as they achieve the desired results.
Having a clean surface allows the vinyl to stick better. It also helps prevent bubbles when you put it in place so that whatever you stick the decal to looks as neat as possible.
Cars
Did you know that you can brand your car with vinyl decals? We can create high-quality designs in line with the branding you need, with bright colors and precise cuts.
You don’t need to be advertising a brand to put vinyl decals on your car, though. They’re a great tool for personalization.
We can create anything from “baby on board” stickers, to driving jokes, to “student driver” stickers for you.
When it comes to putting decals onto your car, you’ll want to know how to apply vinyl decals without bubbles. Washing your car with a 50/50 soap-to-water ratio is a great way to properly clean the surface. Another option is spraying the area with rubbing alcohol before applying the sticker.
Walls and Doors
Vinyl decals can be used to bring life to the bare walls in your home or office. We use only the best quality vinyl so the decals last for years in your space.
Here are some ways you can use vinyl on your walls and doors:
- Murals in place of a headboard. Headboards are quite expensive, and therefore permanent because they’re not easily replaceable.
Tastes change over time though, especially if we’re talking about kids. Vinyl gives you the chance to go from princess theme to Pinterest-inspired teen bedroom, and everything in between.
- Names on doors. Speaking of children in the home; we know they love to keep their siblings out of their rooms. You can use vinyl to put their names on their doors, along with a sneaky message warning intruding siblings to stay out.
- Wall Art. Let’s face it: we’re not all fans of bulky photo frames. This doesn’t mean your wall has to be bare, though. We can create a custom vinyl wall decal for you, or you can supply us with an image and we’ll take it from there.
You’ll want to know how to apply wall decals if you’re investing in them for your home or office. Here’s a brief outline:
- Make sure your wall is clean.
- Hold the decal up to where you think you’d like it. Sometimes, seeing it in place could make you change your mind about where it’ll go.
- Peel off the white backing.
- Begin sticking it down at one corner, and slowly work your way across the decal. Doing this helps avoid air bubbles, which can ruin the look of your decal.
- If there are small air bubbles once your decal is applied to your wall, use a window squeegee to smooth it out.
- You’re done!
Applying wall decals to textured walls is a bit more complicated. Your options range from adding some adhesive with a glue stick to using a hairdryer to make the decal slightly more malleable.
Wood
Vinyl can be used to decorate wooden objects in your home, too. We love how versatile these decals are.
Here are some ways you can use vinyl decals to spruce up the wood in your home:
- Labeled storage crates. Whether your children’s toys are in a wooden crate, or your spare linen is, we think labeling is a great organization technique. Vinyl decals are super adhesive, so you don’t have to worry about the label falling off.
- Coasters. Wooden coasters are a great wedding favor, and they’re cost-effective too. You can personalize these for your guests by adding their names. You can also add your wedding date, so they never forget the special day.
- Labeling your laundry area. Like we said, we love organization. You can label your laundry area with a wooden plaque and some vinyl decals. Say bye-bye to “mom, where’s the fabric softener?.”
Vinyl Decal Installation
Vinyl decal installation is easy, but we understand that it can be stressful. You wouldn’t want to land up with a vinyl decal with air pockets underneath it, or a crumbled-up decal that got stuck to itself in the installation process.
Once you know how to apply vinyl decals properly, you’ll never stop ordering them. We have enough repeat customers to know that’s true.
Your installation process will be smoother if you have some handy tools nearby. We find many beginners have said these helped tremendously.
Using a hairdryer on stubborn pieces of your vinyl decal can make getting it in the exact place you want much easier. This is because heat makes the vinyl easier to move around. We use high-quality vinyl, so don’t expect it to feel as thin as a sticker.
This can also help when getting vinyl decals to stick. The heat helps activate the glue by making it stickier, which makes it easier to get the vinyl to stick to your wall.
Another helpful tool is a window-cleaning squeegee. The flat edge can help you push out any air bubbles that pop up in your decal once it’s on your wall.
If there are still some tiny air bubbles in your decal after you’ve pushed some out, don’t worry. It takes about 24 hours for the decal to settle properly onto your wall. As it settles, it’ll push the remaining bubbles out.
Did you enjoy reading our blog? Then consider checking other guides:
- How to Apply Vinyl Decal to Glass/Window
- Applying Vinyl Decals to Canvas
- How to Put Vinyl Decal on Curved Surface
- Applying Vinyl Decals in Cold Weather
- How to Apply Window Decal
- How to Install Perforated Window Decal
- Why Is My Vinyl Decal Not Sticking
- Popular Vinyl Decals
- Types of Vinyl Decals
- Premium Vinyl Decals
- What Is a Vinyl Decal
- What Is Perforated Vinyl
- How Are Vinyl Decals Made
- Vinyl Decals for Swimming Pools
- Wedding Vinyl Decals