Deer Antler Nighstand & Tutorial

Our "His" & "Her" Nightstands are Finally Complete!!

Changing things up a little this post. 

Decided it was time for a little tutorial on  

"How To Use Vinyl Decals"

Hope you like it :)

Now there was no way the hubby was going to allow me to put birds or something girly on his nightstand. I really did try but he fought a good fight LOL. So what better way to add a little nature then deer antlers?! In my last post I shared my complete nightstand and so I knew I had to try and "match" the style.

Here is the finished piece:

And here is what we started with:

Blah right??!!!

So first things first. 

Step #1:  Always prep!! 

Sometimes I think I over do it but hey why not? 

My first step is always to wipe down with acetone, just to get any dirt and grime off.

Step #2 Sanding

I am a big fan of sanding, usually starting with an 80 grit and finishing with a 220 grit. 

Step #3 Stain

Once the wood is nice and smooth add your stain.

With this project I used Minwax Early American.

Staining is very simple. 

Use an old rag and wipe on, then wipe off excess and let dry. 

If you want a darker color just add another coat until you get the desired color.

Step #4 Line the drawers up

This is very important to make sure the decals line up perfectly.

Step #5  Apply the vinyl decal

 Just peel and stick. 

My biggest advice here is to make sure it is even. Don't worry if you don't succeed on your first try, that is what makes vinyl so great, you can peel up and adjust.

Step #6  Cut the edges

As you can see I did not do this!! 

 (I plan to re-use the antlers)

What you will need to do is use a razor blade and cut the vinyl in between each drawer and smooth down the edges. 

Step #7  Poly the edges

This is a little trick I learned over the years to avoid "bleeding" under the decal. Just wipe Polycrylic around the edges and let dry. This acts as a barrier. 

 Step #8  Paint

 Use the paint of your choice. Most times 2 coats of paint will do.

Step #9  Peel off the Vinyl

Now don't worry!!! 

This is what will happen if you don't cut the edges in between the drawers. I knew I would have bleeding to contend with since I wanted to keep the vinyl whole.

But if for some reason you do have any areas like this just dip a q-tip in some acetone and simply wipe of the excess paint. 

Step #10  Distress

This step is optional. 

I used a medium grit sanding block (about a 150) starting distressing. There is no right or way to do this. It is all in how you want it to look. Have fun with it :) 

Step #11  Apply Polyurethane

 I prefer Minwax but you can use any brand you like.

 My advice use a foam brush to apply. To me paint brushes tend to leave lines. 

Step #12  Add Hardware

I decided to use a smaller knob than what was originally on this nightstand. They were to big and bulky and took away from the antlers. All I did was paint, distress and poly them.

And here is the Final Project Again:

FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS!!