Rub On Transfers for Furniture

Learn how easy it is to use rub on transfers for furniture with Dixie Belle transfers! This is a great way to add a custom look to furniture!

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rub-on transfers for furniture

Have you seen the amazing rub on transfers for furniture lately? They are works of art in themselves but when applied to furniture, well, my friend, they are even more gorgeous!

The rub on transfers I will be using today are from Belles and Whistles, by Dixie Belle Paint Company. They have so many to choose from and I chose one of the gorgeous florals called Magnolia Garden.

The designs came in four sheets. Three were used for this project and I am saving the other for a different project.

Let’s take a look at the supplies for this rub on transfer project. If the project you work on is already painted, you’ll only need a few supplies!

BTW, I was able to visit one of my daughters in Virginia while we both worked on this gorgeous antique armoire she purchased a few weeks back. More on that later in the post!

list of supplies:

• Magnolia Garden Transfer (you can choose any transfer you like!)
• Chalk mineral paint in your choice of color (this color is Sawmill Gravy)
• water-based sealer
• paintbrush for sealer and painting
• sharp scissors
• painters tape

Use the links above to purchase some of the supplies for this project! You are helping to support this blog and all the free tutorials we offer here! Thanks so much!😊

before and after painting

Here is a before shot of the armoire before my daughter painted it. Can you believe she got it for only $50? She definitely has my eye for good deals on furniture!

It needed the basic prep of cleaning, sanding, and hardware removal. She also removed the doors to create easy access to paint the interior of the cabinet.

step one: separate the sections

The first thing we decided to do was to cut the designs apart. The floral designs are spread out over the sheets so that they can be separated and arranged on the furniture piece in the way they will look and fit the best.

DIY furniture transfer

step two: lay out the design

Laying out the floral designs is the next step. Painters tape will gently hold the pieces in place as they are arranged.

My daughter carefully placed each flower and leaf keeping in mind whether she wanted them to lay behind or in front of other sections.

how to put a transfer on a piece of furniture

step three: burnish the transfers

A couple of the designs included all of the florals and leaves together and didn’t need to be separated or layered. We figured those would be the easiest to start with.

Dixie Belle transfers come with a burnishing tool. The technique is simple: use the tool to rub against the surface so that the design comes off of the clear protective layer. You can tell when the design is starting to adhere to the surface by carefully lifting one edge.

If the design isn’t completely adhered to the surface of the furniture, just lay the protective layer down and continue to burnish the design!

Approaching the layered section of the design took a bit more thought. Remember I said that my daughter carefully thought through the pieces that would be in front or in the back of others?

This has to be kept in mind as you move from section to section. Start with the pieces that will be the furthest back in the layers. Then move towards the top layers. Think through each step before you begin to add a new layer.

do you have to seal furniture transfers?

step four: seal if desired

These rub on transfers for furniture don’t necessarily have to be sealed. The areas that we applied the Magnolia Garden transfer to won’t be touched very often. If we had applied them in areas that would be touched like the cut-out for the drawers, then I would recommend this piece be sealed.

The water-based sealer that Dixie Belle has is awesome! You will need a good synthetic brush to apply it. Both are linked in the supplies list at the top of this post!

rub on transfer by Dixie Belle

step five: enjoy your piece for years!

What do you think of this beautiful design by Dixie Belle? Gorgeous isn’t it??

The transfer adds a bit of a surprise each time the doors are open. In fact, if this piece were in my house, I might leave the doors open all the time!

where to buy furniture transfers

Here is a sampling of the furniture transfers Dixie Belle has to offer. There are more designs on their website. Click the button below to head over to their site to see them!

The samples I have gathered from left to right, top to bottom:

• Floral Romance
• Vintage Floral
• Translucent Garden
• Cotton and Eucalyptus
• Sunflowers
• Magnolia Garden (that’s what we used!)

more inspiring posts!

Click the image to see the whole tutorial! Hope you enjoy the projects!

Did you enjoy this easy rub on transfers for furniture projects? Let me know what you think of it in the comments!

Better yet, what transfer design is your favorite? Tell me what piece you would use a transfer on for your home!

Pin the image below to your home decor and furniture boards! Just click the pin button at the top left corner!

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