At some point we ALL run out of room to place our decals on. What to do. If you are like me and have an ever-growing stash of decals, then do I have a solution for you. A DIY on a place for all those upland decals.
In the early 1980s it was popular for school kids to collect stickers. I did it. And depending on how old you are, you did to – even if you don’t admit to it. For us boys, stickers consisted of sport teams, race cars and dinosaurs. For the girls it was flowers, unicorns, rainbows and cute little animals. Stickers would be collected, traded and placed in a three-hole binder to show and admire. Ahhh, to be that young and innocent again.
At fifty years old, I am still in a sense collecting stickers or as we upland bird hunters say, “decals.” Nowadays, every “upland bird” venture, be it an organization, gear, vest, or clothing company has promotional decals. Oh, and let’s not forget magazines. They too have jumped on the decal bandwagon to promote their paper journals. A vast array of game birds from all four corners of the country are represented in decals. You will find chukars from Nevada, ruffs from the Northwoods, pheasants from the Midwest and a host of others. There are a multitude of personal blogs, websites, podcasters. Then there are the plain ol’ upland fanatics that create their own logo or brand. They incorporate some type of upland overtone or flushing bird.
These brands form an identity within the upland community in the form of decals. Decals declare that you are an upland bird hunter, wear a certain bird vest, or hunt a specific bird.
Instagram has become the superhighway on social media for someone to promote themselves and / or organization and business. Some are posted directly onto the “gram” with a promotional photo and others, teased on Instagram Stories. Everyone is giving away or selling their own upland inspired decals. For a few bucks, you too can put that decal on the back of your truck’s window, camper or cooler.
However, at some point we ALL run out of room to place our decals on. What to do. If you are like me and have an ever-growing stash of decals, then do I have a solution for you. Here is how to find a place for all those upland decals. It can accommodate a lot of sticky backs, no matter the type of hunting or fishing decals you collect. And it looks good in the garage next to your hunting gear.
It’s EASY, CHEAP and a pretty COOL way to display that decal collection.
STEP 1. Go to almost any hardware store and pick up a sheet of galvanized steel. Size will depend on the number of decals you have or the space where you are wanting to display it. Cost will be minimal. I picked up a 24” x 36” sheet for under ten bucks.
24” x 36” Galvanized sheet-metal, under $10.
STEP 2. Clean the surface by using alcohol prep pads. This will make it easier for the decals to adhere. NOTE: If you have a lot of decals, clean both sides.
Alcohol pads can be found 200 per box for less than $4.
STEP 3. Have an idea on how you want to lay out the decals. I positioned them where I wanted them to go before hand, based on their size and shape to make the best use of space. Afterwards, when you get a new decal just slap it on! Fill up one side, flip it over and stick it on.
Pre-placement helps the eye get the gist of how the decals can fit together like a puzzle.
STEP 4. Now that you have all your decals in a centralized place, that Picasso work of upland art needs to be displayed. Drill or punch two holes in the upper corners and run some wire, string, or use nails to hang.
Want to take a tip from your wives and girlfriends? Then use those Pinterest inspired fancy-dancy sticky Command Strips that boast they can hold up to eight pounds or couple of shotgun shell boxes!
STEP 5. Step back and admire your colorful collection of decals. Add to your heart’s content. Fill up both sides…buy another sheet. And whatever you do, don’t say you collect stickers!
Your conversation piece is ready to be studied and discussed!
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