Rub-on Transfers for Walls:Tatouage Designs

Decorating your home? Want a beautiful mural painted on your walls but can't afford to hire an artist? No problem. Now there's tatouage. What's tatouage you ask? It's a rub-on transfer that appears hand painted.

I recently bought a home and wanted to have a unique house, not just another model home. I looked all over for ideas and started coming up with some themes for the rooms. I was looking on eBay one day for stencils when I came across tatouage. I did some research and found about a dozen online stores that sell these transfers. So I though what the heck let's try it. I bought one, a fake stone window with a "view" of an ocean and deserted island. I decided to put it in my bathroom beside the toilet so you could have "a view" while you do your business.

So here's how it works. The design is on a clear sheet and attached is a protective tissue paper like lining. It also comes with a large wide popsicle stick, this is the applicator tool. To apply the transfer you are first supposed to make sure the surface is dry and clean. Next cut around the transfer (if necessary) and position it on the surface you want to apply it to. Once you are satisfied with the positioning tape the transfer to the wall. Then slowly and carefully remove the lining on the back.

This is tricky since the transfer is already taped to the wall but be a little creative and you'll do alright. Next pat the transfer down with your hand. Make sure it is really stuck to the wall. Now the way I did it was to start at the edges. Using the popsicle stick press down the edges. You can check to see if they are sticking by pulling up the edges of the sheet and seeing if the adhesive transfer is clinging to the wall or not. Continue pressing and pushing the transfer into the wall until the paper starts to practically peel away on its own.

Once you are sure it's all stuck you can pull the transfer paper back, but do it slowly so that if you notice something not sticking you can put it back down in the same position. After you've pulled away the paper press down the transfer on the wall once more to be sure it's in place. That's it. You're done. You can seal it with a clear acrylic spray if it's a high traffic area or a glossy wall. Flat and matte walls usually do not need to be sealed.

For creating full blown murals you'll just have to repeat the above steps with several sheet, overlapping and moving things as you see fit. It's fun, easy and affordable, why not give it a try? You can create beautiful art in no time at all. There are numerous designs; flowers, window views, animals, Greek architecture, detailing, jungle settings, gardens, ocean atmospheres and more. Tatouage designs are currently available online. Bring the beauty in.