What Is Needed to Make Vinyl Wall Stickers?

Vinyl

• You'll need some type of thin, self-adhesive vinyl to act as the base of the vinyl wall stickers. Matte or glossy sign vinyl works well and comes with a light adhesive applied that won't damage your walls. Glossy vinyl reflects more light but highlights any surface problems with the wall below it. Many stores also carry rolls of colored, thin vinyl for use as shelf liners. These types of vinyl work as well for wall stickers.

Clear Transfer Paper

• A special type of clear material known as transfer application paper or tape holds your vinyl sticker together as you apply it to the wall, then peels away cleanly. If you plan to create a design with cutout sections or other loose pieces of vinyl, use this clear tape to keep all the parts of the design in one piece. The tape won't damage the wall if the self adhesive vinyl doesn't, says R-Tape, a leading manufacturer of application transfer tape.

Cutting Tools

• Once you've drawn or transferred a printed outline to the vinyl, you'll need to cut it out. Scissors work well for simple shapes or large designs with little detail. If you're printing a complex design with small details, you'll need a craft knife with a small and sharp blade. Dull scissors or craft knife blades score the vinyl without cutting all the way through, leading to curled edges or rough edges that ruin the finished look of the sticker.

Design Software

• Draw simple designs like flowers, hearts or geometric designs by hand if you prefer, but if you want a certain typeface, photo realistic shapes or a complicated design for your wall sticker, use a design program like Illustrator. These programs produce vector graphics that are deal for transferring to the vinyl. Simply cut out the vector graphic once it is printed on copy paper, and trace around it onto the vinyl.