4 Ways to Stop Chalk Paste from Drying in Transfers

Have you tried to take on the BIG transfers yet? They do make some of the most beautiful pieces but boy they can be tough to navigate! My first attempt did not go quite as planned. I was pretty sure I could move quickly enough to complete this beast in one quick swoop but I quickly discovered that was not going to happen. I found the things were drying faster then I hoped so I have to take a step back and figure out how to stop my paste from drying in transfers.

See my problem was by time I got to the end of the transfer the paste from the beginning was already starting to dry and stick in the little silkscreen on the transfer. So when I pulled it up to reveal my project half the chalk pulled up with it. Brutal! Luckily, chalk paste is easily washed away so I could give it another try after some research. And now I can share with all of you what I learned to prevent this from happening to you.

How to Stop Chalk Paste from Drying in Transfers

Apply a Thick Layer

The first option I found to stop chalk paste drying in the transfer is to leave a thick layer of chalk on the screen part as you work your way down. Then once you have covered the entire area scrap the chalk off from the bottom up. The added paste helps keep things moist longer allowing you more time to complete the project. Although this did work ok I wasn’t overly excited about using this technique.

Use a Paper Towel

Another great option to stop chalk paste from drying in transfers is to set a damp paper towel over your transfer as you work. To do this just wet a paper towel, spread your chalk paste on as you normally would and then lay the paper towel directly on top of the paste. This will keep your chalk paste nice and wet while you finish your project. Then you can just take the paper towel off when you are finished and pull up your transfer. I really like this technique it is easy to implement at workshops without much preparation. And it worked wonderfully for me at home as well.

Light Misting

I have seen this technique used a few times and I found it quite neat. To stop chalk paste from drying in transfers just lightly mist the chalk paste on the transfer after you are finished. Smear the paste across all of the screen the way you normally would and then spray with a fine mist over the entire piece before you pull up the transfer. This will rewet the chalk and keep it from sticking in the transfer screen. This one is very easy to do and the Chalk Couture misting bottle works perfectly for this.

Paste and Peel

This method is probably my favourite to use. It is simple and doesn’t require anything extra. To do this it is easiest to start at the top of the transfer. Smear your chalk paste on until you have covered about 1/5 of the transfer stopping where there is a break in the screen. It is not a good idea to stop in the middle of a screened section unless absolutely necessary. Next peel up only the part of the transfer that you have chalked and let the paste dry before lightly setting the transfer back down. Then repeat this process all the way down the transfer. Easy right?

There you have it. 4 easy to use techniques to stop chalk paste from drying in transfers as you create your beautiful home decor. Which one do you like best?

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