The Simple Yet Beautiful Upgrade You Can Give Any Piece Of IKEA Furniture

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If you want to jazz up your standard IKEA furniture or dishware without taking on a major project, home decor tattoos are the way to go. These adorable decals can completely transform the look of your plain dishes, vases, and furniture. In short, home decor tattoos are durable design stickers you can apply to furniture, dishes, and other items. They're similar to the temporary ones you decorated yourself with as a kid and are almost as simple to apply.

Suteka makes a full line of decor tattoos that can elevate almost any surface. You can use them on porcelain, ceramic, glass, or enamel for an ovenproof and dishwasher-safe finish. They also work on nonporous surfaces, such as wood, drywall, plastic, or metal. 

To use them, you dip them in water and then apply them where you want. For dishes, heat-set the tattoos in the oven after you stick them. Conversely, if you're adding them to furniture or items that aren't oven-safe, a hair dryer can help set them. When you're ready for a change, they can be easily removed with acetone.

The potential uses for home decor tattoos are almost limitless. You can turn a plain set of IKEA 365+ white dishes into a fancy table setting worthy of your favorite high-end magazine. Ocean-inspired decals would add instant panache to any dinner. Instead of placing them directly in the center of your dishes, offset them to add visual complexity and sophistication. Another idea is to use the decor tattoos to simplify holiday decorating and save money and space. As such, why not turn IKEA's POMP vase into a seasonal accessory by swapping decals for each holiday instead of buying different vases? 

Beyond dishes, vases, and ceramics, use the decals to bring a custom or playful look to any room. Highlight your love of dogs by featuring different adorable pooch stickers on each drawer of your HEMNES shoe cabinet. Moreover, instead of trying to hide your kitchen appliances and basic IKEA recycling bins, dress them up with cute designs. For larger items such as these, one large tattoo alone can look kind of blah. Instead, think about it like a surface pattern designer would and evenly space smaller tattoos around the entire surface. Avoid being overly repetitive by adding some unexpected variety. For example, if most of your tattoos are in a vertical position, randomly turn a few in a horizontal direction. 

Suteka has a beautiful line of home decor tattoos in a range of styles and subjects, but it's not your only option. Temporary tattoos work just as well for purely decorative uses. Just apply them the same way you would to your skin, and then finish with Mod Podge or another sealer. Don't put them in the oven or dishwasher, though, as they won't be as durable. You can find temporary tattoos from artists on Etsy or Redbubble. If you're feeling creative, you might even want to design and print your own using specialized paper.

Don't feel limited to using temporary tattoos to personalize your space. Consider creating a similar effect from scratch with paint markers such as the POSCA 8-Color Paint Marker Set. These vibrant colors pop against plain ceramics. After you finish drawing, let it dry thoroughly and seal with a spray varnish. This isn't a food-safe option, but it works great for decorative items. If you want to decorate your own mugs or bowls, use oil-based Sharpie markers on the outside of the dish for a washable option. Finish your designs in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.