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Some designs deserve a little time outside the journal. For this project, we’re taking the foliage artwork from the Dark Fantasy Fall Extension and turning it into decorative candle wraps using waterslide decal paper.

Styled with loose grapevine and autumn leaves, the finished candles make a wonderfully moody centrepiece for a bookish table or fall display.

Choose LED pillar candles for this project whenever possible. If you decorate real wax candles, keep them unlit and use them for display only. The decals and clear coat do not make a candle safe to burn.

Gather Your Supplies

• Dark Fantasy Fall Extension artwork — the printable papers used for this project
• Waterslide decal paper suitable for your printer
• Epson EcoTank ET-2800 or a compatible inkjet printer, using ordinary printer ink
• LED pillar candles — smooth surfaces are easiest to decorate; test adhesion first
• Scissors
• A shallow dish of water
• A soft cloth or paper towel
• Clear acrylic spray sealer, if required by your decal paper
• Loose grapevine and artificial autumn leaves for styling

Check the instructions supplied with your waterslide paper before beginning. Printing, sealing, soaking and drying requirements vary between products. Clear decal paper allows the candle colour to show through; a pale candle helps the artwork remain visible.

1. Choose and Size Your Artwork

Choose a foliage design from the Dark Fantasy Fall Extension papers. Measure the height and circumference of your candle, then size the artwork to fit the area you want to decorate.

A quick test print on ordinary paper is helpful here. Wrap it around the candle to check the placement before using your decal paper.

For LED candles, keep the design clear of switches, battery compartments and other working parts.

2. Print and Seal

Print on the correct side of your waterslide paper using the settings recommended by its manufacturer. Allow the ink to dry.

If your paper requires sealing, apply the recommended clear coat before soaking. Work in a well-ventilated area and follow the spray label’s drying instructions.

Don’t rush this step. An inadequate seal can allow the printed colours to run or the design to break apart in the water. Use the number of coats and drying time specified for your paper and sealer.

3. Trim and Soak

Trim the design neatly, removing excess blank space where appropriate.

Place the decal in water for the time recommended by the paper manufacturer. It is ready when the printed film begins to slide gently on its backing. Avoid pulling or forcing it.

4. Slide the Design into Place

Make sure the candle surface is clean and dry.

Hold the decal against the candle and gently slide the backing paper out from beneath it, keeping the printed film supported as you go. Work slowly around the curve.

Use a damp, soft cloth to smooth from the centre towards the edges, easing out trapped water and air. Handle the film gently while it is wet—it can stretch or tear.

For LED candles, keep water away from the battery compartment and electrical components.

5. Leave It to Dry

Set the candle upright and allow the decal to dry fully according to the paper instructions. Avoid handling the decorated area during this stage.

Only apply an additional finish if the product instructions recommend it and it is compatible with your candle’s surface. Test unfamiliar materials on a small, inconspicuous area first.

6. Build Your Autumn Display

Arrange the finished candles on a tray with loose grapevine and a scattering of artificial fall leaves. Let the vines curve naturally around the arrangement for a relaxed woodland feel.

The dark foliage brings a touch of enchanted forest to the table—just right beside a stack of autumn reads.

Use the glow from LED candles only. Decorated wax candles must remain unlit, and the entire arrangement should be kept away from flames and heat.

Give Your Printables Another Life

This is such a lovely way to carry a favourite collection into your seasonal decorating. A paper chosen for a journal can become the detail that ties a whole display together.

Shop the Dark Fantasy Fall Extension on Etsy to find the artwork for this project. This is a digital download; candles and craft supplies are purchased separately. You can also explore all My Grandma’s Teacups printable collections.

Join our newsletter for more printable projects, creative ideas and subscriber freebies. There are plenty more ways to take these designs off the page!

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Apparently, building Viola a little potion shop was not enough. Now she needs to come along when I pick up my tablet, too. I can hardly blame her. There are books to read and probably a few recipes she would like to check.

This little project turns printed artwork into a removable paper insert for a clear tablet case. I used the shop background from our Viola project pages, pasted the focal image onto it, then filled the scene with plants and bottles. The clear case holds everything in place and lets the artwork show through.

You do not need to build a miniature cabinet to enjoy this collection. A few printed pieces, a little cutting and a clear case make a lovely smaller project.

What I used

• A clear MoKo tablet case matched to my tablet; use a case made for your exact model and generation
• The Viola focal image
• The shop background page from our Viola project set
• The coordinating plants-and-bottles page for extra details
• Printer-compatible paper thin enough to fit comfortably inside the case
• An inkjet printer; my everyday artwork printer is an Epson EcoTank ET-2800
• Scissors, a pencil and a ruler
• Paper adhesive, applied sparingly
• A plain scrap of paper for a fitting template

Keep the finished insert flat and thin. This is a paper collage that slips behind the clear back, so there is no need for foam tape, raised gems or other bulky embellishments.

1. Make a paper template before cutting the artwork

Remove the tablet from its case. If the case came with a removable paper insert, use that as your starting shape. Otherwise, make a plain-paper template to fit inside the clear back. Check the corners and the camera opening carefully.

Test the plain template in the empty case, then check the fit with the tablet. It should sit smoothly without forcing the case, covering the camera or interfering with buttons, ports or ventilation. Trim a little at a time until it fits comfortably.

There is no universal tablet-insert size. Fit the template to your own case rather than copying the dimensions of the example. If the case is too tight to accommodate paper, choose a different case instead of forcing it closed.

2. Print and plan your little shop

Print the background and decorative pieces at a size that works with your template. An inexpensive draft print is useful for checking scale before using your preferred paper. Let the ink dry before handling.

Place your template over the shop background and lightly mark the finished outline and camera opening on the reverse. Keep the focal image and your favourite details inside that outline. Leave enough room around the edges for the case rim.

I like to arrange everything before reaching for the glue. It saves discovering that the camera has claimed the best potion bottle.

3. Cut out the focal image

Cut around the outside of the Viola scene. Keep the little companions and decorative details that belong to your chosen focal piece together wherever practical. You do not have to cut every tiny gap to make the scene look lovely.

Set it on the shop background and try the placement against your template. Check that Viola’s face and hat will remain visible once the case is fitted.

4. Paste Viola onto the shop background

This is the starting point I used: I pasted the focal image onto the background page of the shop from the set we made for the projects.

Apply a thin, even layer of paper adhesive to the back of the focal piece, paying attention to the edges. Position it on the background and smooth it gently. Too much wet glue can curl the paper, so use only what your adhesive needs.

5. Fill the scene with plants and bottles

Next, I used the plants-and-bottles page to fill it in. Cut out a selection of the coordinating pieces and arrange them around the focal scene before gluing.

Try taller plants beside the scene and smaller bottles along the bottom. A little overlap helps the separate pieces feel like one busy potion pantry. Keep Viola visible and check the camera opening again before fixing anything down.

Glue the pieces directly to the background. The overlapping artwork gives the impression of depth without adding bulky spacers. Stop when the scene feels balanced; you can save the remaining pieces for a card or journal page.

6. Let it dry, then trim to fit

Allow the adhesive to dry completely before placing the insert against your tablet. Keep the collage flat while it dries, following the adhesive’s directions.

Use the tested template to trim the outside edge and camera opening. Cut conservatively, then check the fit in the empty case. Make small adjustments until the paper lies flat, with no folded corners or loose edges.

7. Slip the insert into the clear case

Place the finished artwork inside the clear back with the picture facing outward. Refit the tablet according to the case instructions and check that the case seats normally all the way around.

Leave the camera, buttons, ports and ventilation clear. Do not glue the insert to the tablet. If the extra paper makes the case difficult to fit, remove it and reduce the thickness rather than applying pressure.

And there she is, with a shop full of bottles and greenery, ready to supervise my reading. When I fancy a different look, I can take the insert out and change it.

Make it your own

Use the same approach with your favourite colours and a different arrangement of the coordinating pieces. The useful part is the order: fit the template first, plan the scene, glue it flat, then trim and test.

Explore Viola’s Potion Pantry colouring book in my Etsy shop for more cosy witchy colouring. The colouring-book listing is for the colouring pages. Download the free companion background and cutout sheet above; this project is trimmed to your own case rather than supplied as a universal pre-sized insert. Check the listing contents before buying.

Looking for another way to take your colouring off the page? Our Best Ghoulfriends waterslide canvas tutorial is coming soon, with autumn foliage and silver cobwebs.

Join our newsletter for access to more freebies and future project updates. Put the kettle on, keep a few pretty paper scraps, and come create with us.

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There is no rule that says a colouring page has to stay tucked inside a book. Sometimes your ghosts deserve to get dressed up, take their pumpkin drinks outside, and become part of the Halloween decorating.

For this project, I took the three friends from Best Ghoulfriends and turned them into an 11 × 14-inch canvas, surrounded by red and orange autumn foliage and a raised silver cobweb border. A big bowl of candy nearby feels entirely appropriate. They do look like the sort of girls who would insist on checking the treats.

The important part of this project is the paper: we used waterslide decal paper for both the coloured focal image and the four foliage sections. This is a waterslide project, rather than paper decoupage.

What I used

I print everyday artwork with an Epson EcoTank ET-2800 using ordinary inkjet ink.

• An 11 × 14-inch canvas
• The Best Ghoulfriends colouring-page image, printed in portrait orientation on letter-size inkjet waterslide paper
• The autumn foliage background, printed as four separate waterslide sections
• A plain sheet to cut alongside the focal image and save as a positioning template or mask
• Blue painter’s tape
• Scissors
• Alcohol markers
• Acrylic paint in fall colours, with a lighter colour for the centre
• Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover clear gloss—the can labelled Clair lustré
• A pencil for light registration marks
• A shallow container of water large enough for the decal sections
• A soft brush and a soft lint-free cloth or paper towel
• A hot glue gun and silver glue sticks

Follow the instructions for your particular waterslide paper and clear coat. The timing between coats, soaking time and drying time need to come from those products.

1. Cut the ghosts and save their matching mask

Place the printed colouring page over a plain backing sheet and secure the sheets together with small pieces of painter’s tape. Trim away the excess paper, then cut carefully around the outside of the whole scene.

Keep the ghosts, table, cat and pumpkins together as one focal piece. There is no need to cut every little space between the table legs.

Separate the two sheets after cutting. The plain silhouette is worth keeping: it matches the focal image and lets you plan the placement without repeatedly handling your coloured decal. It can also serve as a mask if you add painted details around the image later.

2. Colour your ghostly gathering

Colour the printed focal image with alcohol markers. I used green for the reading ghost’s bow and book, pink and purple for the middle bow, and grey and black for the bow on the right. Orange pumpkins, autumn leaves and a warm brown table bring the scene together.

Leave the ghost bodies white. Their bright shapes are what help them stand out against all that autumn colour.

The focal image stays at the size printed from the colouring page. It does not need to fill the canvas; the space around it gives the woodland background room to show.

3. Seal the waterslide prints with four layers of clear coat

We sealed the printed waterslides with four layers of our Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X clear gloss before putting them in water.

That includes the coloured ghost image and the printed foliage sections. Allow the marker colouring to dry first, then apply the clear coat according to its label, observing the required intervals and drying time before soaking.

This is a step to take slowly. Coverage needs to be even, and the printed areas need protection before they meet the water. Four layers describe what we used for this project; check that your own paper and sealer are compatible, and try a spare printed scrap first.

Spray in a suitable well-ventilated area, following the can’s safety directions.

4. Paint the canvas in fall colours

Paint the canvas with a fall-colour base, keeping the centre lighter and working warmer, deeper colours around the outside.

The lighter centre gives the ghosts a place to sit without disappearing into the red and orange foliage. Think of it as a little clearing in the autumn woods.

Let the paint dry fully. The receiving surface also needs to be smooth and sealed enough for the waterslide to move into place; an absorbent or heavily textured surface makes positioning much harder. Prepare and dry that surface according to the products you are using.

5. Make light registration marks

Before soaking anything, arrange the four foliage pieces on the canvas with their paper backing still attached. Check the orientation and where the branches, tree trunks and foliage meet.

I drew light registration marks in the centre of my canvas to help line up the four sections.

Keep those marks faint and check that the artwork will hide them, especially if you are using transparent waterslide paper. A straight-on photograph of the dry arrangement is useful, too.

Use the plain ghost silhouette to check the focal placement. Make sure there is room for the silver border around the outside.

6. Apply the four foliage sections—touching, not overlapping

This is the part that needs the most care.

The foliage is made from four separate waterslide sections. Their edges need to meet neatly: touching, but not overlapping.

An overlap can produce a darker line or a doubled piece of artwork. A gap can leave the painted canvas visible between the sections. Take time to match the actual branches and foliage as well as the outside edges.

Work with one section at a time:

1. Soak it according to the waterslide paper’s instructions, until the film releases easily.
2. Lightly wet the area where it will sit.
3. Bring the section to the canvas while its backing still supports it.
4. Ease a small edge into position, then gently withdraw the backing underneath.
5. Align it with the centre registration marks and the neighbouring artwork while it is still movable.
6. Gently smooth and blot away excess water without dragging or stretching the film.

Continue with the remaining pieces. Keep checking that each join meets cleanly before moving on. Avoid pulling at one corner to force a match; that can distort the image.

Let the background dry as directed before applying the focal image.

7. Add the coloured ghosts

Return to the position you planned with the plain silhouette.

If your focal image is on clear waterslide paper, unprinted white areas will be transparent. Make sure the area beneath the ghosts is white if you want white bodies; a merely lighter centre will still show through. White waterslide paper provides its own opaque white base.

Soak the sealed focal decal according to its instructions and slide it into position, keeping the backing beneath it for support as you work. Take particular care around the bows, leaves and pumpkin edges.

Gently ease out trapped water and air. The aim is for the whole image to lie flat, with no curled edges or folds. Allow it to dry thoroughly before adding the border.

8. Make a silver hot-glue cobweb border

Use silver glue sticks to create a raised cobweb border roughly one inch wide around all four sides of the canvas.

Keep it beginner friendly. Start with a simple fan-shaped web in each corner: a few spokes, joined with two or three curved lines. Then connect the corners with smaller repeating web sections along the edges.

You do not need tiny, intricate webs. Open shapes are easier to make and let the autumn colours show through.

Practise a few lines on a suitable heat-resistant scrap surface first. Work in short sections and keep the hot nozzle away from the decal surface. A slightly thicker join, a wobbly curve or a little glue blob is part of the handmade finish. We are decorating with cobwebs, after all. The spiders did not bring rulers.

Let the glue cool completely before moving the canvas.

9. Take your ghosts to the entryway

Hang the finished canvas near your Halloween treats, with a generous bowl of wrapped candy underneath.

I like it with a pumpkin and those wispy cobweb decorations that come bundled in a bag and stretch out between corners. Keep the stretched webbing around the display rather than across the ghost faces—you have done all that colouring, so let it show.

And there they are: three friends who have escaped the colouring book and found themselves a place in the Halloween decorating.

Make your own

You can find Best Ghoulfriends in my printable shop:

Get the Best Ghoulfriends colouring book on Etsy

Use the colouring artwork as the starting point, then make the colours and finishing details your own. The four-section foliage background is a free companion download linked above; the ghost colouring artwork comes from the Best Ghoulfriends book.

More little things worth making

Join our newsletter for access to more freebies, new tutorials and gentle inspiration from my craft room. Put the kettle on and come create with us.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Links to materials are shopping options; check the size and printer compatibility before ordering.

One collection. Endless possibilities.

Have you ever downloaded a gorgeous printable collection, printed a few pages, and wondered what else you could make? At My Grandma's Teacups, I love finding unexpected ways to transform digital artwork into something beautiful and useful. Today I'm opening my craft-room cupboards and sharing the supplies and techniques behind our upcoming projects.

1. My everyday printing secret: an ink-tank printer

I use an Epson EcoTank ET-2800 for everyday printable artwork. Its refillable ink tanks are especially helpful when printing colourful stickers, journal pages and patterned papers regularly. I spotted one for about CAD $175 during a summer sale, but prices change, so compare current offers and the total cost of ink.

2. My cutting companion: the Cricut Maker

You can do plenty with scissors and a craft knife, but a Cricut Maker makes detailed stickers, labels, paper embellishments and stencil pieces much easier to repeat. Print Then Cut is particularly handy for the little potion bottles and decorative pieces we're creating for Viola's miniature shop.

3. Printable sticker paper: the easiest place to start

Use inkjet-compatible printable sticker paper for planner stickers, decorative labels, gift seals and journal embellishments. Match the paper finish to the project and use your printer's recommended settings. For Cricut Print Then Cut, keep registration marks unobstructed and perform a small test cut.

4. Holographic overlay: instant sparkle

A clear holographic adhesive overlay gives ordinary stickers a shimmering finish. Apply it smoothly after printing and drying, then cut through the combined layers using a tested material setting. We're exploring this finish for our own collection artwork.

5. Waterslide decal paper: artwork on unexpected surfaces

Waterslide decal paper lets you apply designs to suitable prepared objects. It's one of the techniques behind our Viola's Potion Pantry cabinet: we're turning a real, upcycled wooden jewellery cabinet into a miniature apothecary with stained-glass-inspired window decals, signs and dimensional illustrations.

We'll also use our Dark Fantasy foliage artwork on decorative candle vessels and a Best Ghoulfriends illustration on an autumn mixed-media canvas. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X clear gloss is the clear coat we used on our waterslide projects. For the ghost canvas, we applied four layers before soaking, following the product’s drying directions. Decorated candles must remain unlit if the decal or finish could be exposed to heat or flame.

6. Acetate and clear sticker paper: botanical layers

Clear Grafix clear craft plastic sheets and compatible clear printable sticker paper are wonderful for journal windows, layered artwork and pressed-flower-inspired embellishments. We'll create a delicate botanical accent inspired by our Blue Hydrangea collection. You can also reuse clean, flat transparent packaging for some journal projects.

7. Printable shrink plastic: little art, tiny charms

Our sticker-sheet illustrations can become miniature charms when printed on printer-compatible shrink plastic. Cut out the designs, punch hanging holes before heating, and follow the shrink-plastic manufacturer's heating directions. Then add jump rings and tassels for a coordinated charm accessory.

8. Sublimation: a different printer, a different world

I keep a second ET-2800 dedicated to sublimation ink, separate from my ordinary printing printer. Sublimation requires Hiipoo sublimation ink, A-SUB sublimation paper, heat equipment and a sublimation-compatible sticker blank. Our playful “Dragons Don't Do Pumpkin Spice” design is one of the ideas we're experimenting with for compatible sublimation stickers.

Important: the ET-2800 is not sold by Epson as a sublimation printer. Converting one is an unofficial modification and may affect warranty coverage; do not put sublimation ink into a printer you still need for ordinary inkjet projects.

9. Lamination, vellum and washi-style strips

A laminator makes printed bookmarks more durable; add a tassel for a gift-ready finish. Printable vellum softens designs into romantic translucent layers, while narrow strips cut from adhesive printed patterns can become coordinated washi-style decorations. Always use printer-compatible media and test unfamiliar settings first.

Your craft-room project list

Bookmark this page: I will update this list with each tutorial as it becomes available. Projects marked Coming soon are still on their way.

1. Viola's Potion Pantry — upcycled jewellery-cabinet diorama. Coming soon.
2. Romantasy tablet insert — art from our Isolde collection. Coming soon.
3. Viola’s Potion Pantry tablet case insert — Coming soon. A removable paper collage with a free shop background and plants-and-bottles cutout sheet.
4. Shrink-plastic charm tassel — tiny printed artwork with decorative tassels. Coming soon.
5. From Paper to Candle: A Dark Fantasy Fall Centrepiece — foliage from the Dark Fantasy Fall Extension printed on waterslide decal paper, with LED pillar candles, loose grapevine and autumn leaves. Coming soon. Use LED candles; decorated wax candles must remain unlit.
6. Taking Your Ghosts Out of the Book: Best Ghoulfriends waterslide canvas — Coming soon. Four autumn foliage panels, a coloured ghost focal image and silver hot-glue cobwebs.
7. Pressed-flower acetate embellishment — translucent journal layering. Coming soon.
8. Laminated bookmarks — coordinated tassel accessories. Coming soon.
9. Plaid, Pumpkins & Pretty Things market bag — fall-patterned decoration. Coming soon.
10. Dragons Don't Do Pumpkin Spice — sublimation-compatible sticker experiment. Coming soon.
11. Pumpkin Spice & Pretty Stitches clipboard — a Victorian Haberdashery autumn noteboard with clear contact paper, a burgundy velvet bow, fall foliage and a tethered erasable marker. Coming soon.
12. Little Comforts of Autumn: Cottagecore Gratitude Card Garland — five small fall journalling cards clipped to jute twine with miniature clothespins and gingham bows, with free ivory lined backs for your autumn memories. Coming soon.
13. From Bookmark to Beautiful Pen: A Scottish Highlands Paper-Insert Tutorial — turn the Scottish Highlands fall bookmarks into clear-barrel pens with clips, with measuring, resizing and fitting tips. Coming 2 November.

Start with what you have

You don't need to buy every machine or material at once. Start with a printer, scissors, paper and artwork you love; add specialty materials as your confidence grows. Keep an untouched backup of your original downloads, and check licence terms before selling physical items made from digital files.

I'll be sharing individual tutorials with the real materials, measurements, process photographs and lessons learned. In the meantime, explore our collections at My Grandma's Teacups on Etsy.

A little invitation

Join the My Grandma’s Teacups newsletter for access to more freebies, new tutorials and cosy creative inspiration. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Save these ideas for later

I love seeing what happens when one of our colouring pages finds its way onto someone else’s craft table. Today I have a lovely project to share from design team member Elizabeth Hart: a Scottish thistle card filled with purple blooms, tartan details and a little sparkle.

Elizabeth shared this card on her blog, Warm Harted — A Scottish Thistle. Do pop over to see her original post and leave her a little love!

A colouring page with a second life

The thistles sit inside an illustrated embroidery hoop, surrounded by Celtic knotwork and tartan ribbon. Elizabeth’s soft pink background gives the deeper purple flowers and green leaves room to stand out, while the black mat and plum-coloured card base frame the whole piece.

My favourite finishing touch is the little purple floral sprig tied with a lavender bow. It brings the flowers forward from the page and gives the card that lovely, tactile quality you only get with handmade things.

How Elizabeth added colour and texture

In her original post, Elizabeth explains that she used watercolour and Copic markers for the colouring, then Distress Oxide inks with a water reaction to create a more vintage look. Flowers, ribbon and glitter complete the card.

It is such a useful idea to tuck away for your own crafting: choose a detail from the printed design and echo it with a real embellishment. A ribbon, a small flower or a touch of sparkle can help a coloured page feel like a finished keepsake.

Try a Highland-inspired card of your own

Elizabeth identifies her image as coming from the Scottish Highlands Coloring Book, Level 2. The thistles, tartan and Celtic details carry the same atmosphere through the wider collection, making it a lovely place to look for coordinating paper-crafting inspiration.

Explore the Scottish Highlands collection in our Etsy shop. Please check each listing’s contents before purchasing so you choose the files you want. The shop offers digital downloads; Elizabeth’s finished card and added embellishments are her own creation.

If this has inspired you to look at your colouring pages a little differently, try pairing a finished image with a contrasting cardstock mat and one small embellishment. You can make it your own without needing to design a card from scratch.

A very warm thank-you to Elizabeth for sharing her beautiful work with us. Visit her Scottish thistle post here for her creative details.

What would you turn a colouring page into—a card, a journal cover or a little framed gift? I would love to hear your ideas.

There is a particular kind of quiet that arrives before winter: the shop has closed, the household has settled, and one small piece of paper changes what tomorrow might become.

This week we are returning to Genevieve’s haberdashery in Bath and Isla’s ledgers at Ardmuir. Their stories are taking another small step toward the winter expansions coming in November. Afterwards, we will make a simple journal pocket for a letter, a list or a promise worth keeping.

New to these stories? Read Mr. Bowls Collects and Isla’s First Dance before settling in.