DIY Wall Decals!! CHIPMUNKS!!!

I did a fun experiment this week that turned out really great. It would be an easy thing to reproduce if you want to make your own wall decals...

I was working on one of my little animal murals in a tough spot along some baseboard the other day when I decided I needed a new technique. It was really difficult to get my hand in this spot and my legs kept falling asleep, so my chipmunk was looking pretty dumb.
I went home to sketch other chipmunk poses that might better suit the spot, and while I was rifling through my supplies I had a brainstorm!!!
My grandfather had a company that did graphic design (pre-computer days), and when he passed away I inherited a lot of curious supplies that I have been whittling away at over the years. One of the things I had yet to find a useful is this self-adhesive Pantone paper. It comes in large sheets with a sturdy paper backing and the adhesive works great. Here's a little snip of it that was left over:

If you can't find a product like this, just use an opaque contact paper. You are basically just making a vinyl sticker.
So, I sketched my chipmunks with a fine point Sharpie on my Pantone paper. I chose a Sharpie because a pencil would have made grooves in the vinyl that might be visible in the end product and a regular marker would smudge.

 

Chipmunks look evil without eyes. Don't worry about how they look at this stage, none of it will show in the end (although you would see this sketch on the back side of your decal if you end up mounting it on a window).

Next, paint the subject of your decal to completion with a good quality acrylic. Paint quality probably will matter here as runny paints will bead and make it difficult to get coverage. If you aren't a practiced painter, it would be just as cute to do silhouettes on an opaque solid color or on a patterned contact paper. If you are using contact paper, make your life easier and do your sketch on the paper back side (remember that your image will then be reversed).

Here's how one of my guys developed:

I installed my decals in a high-traffic area, so I wanted to add a protective top coat over my paint. I had fixative on hand and that worked great, but any sprayable (apparently that's not a word) clear coat should do the trick. I found a really sunny spot for this step to cut down on the drying time and quickly get in several coats.

After they were completely dry, I VERY carefully cut out the decals. I forgot to take a picture of this step, but use either sharp scissors or a craft knife on a cutting mat. Don't use a knife on a surface that is not completely smooth or you may get snagged and ruin all your hard work.
Now you have adorable little hand-made decals. Play around to get the placement just the way you like it, then peel off your backing and adhere it onto the wall. Smooth it from one end to another so it lays nice and flat with no bubbles. And since I was working in a high-traffic area, I actually brushed on another clear coat once my guys were on the wall so that they were securely attached and could be safely cleaned over.

Voila: