Adding Cornhole Decals to your Game

So often people buy cornhole decals then get the package in the mail and have no clue how to handle them. It might be intimidating to look at that sizeable weeded out version of the decal that includes masking and everything. We realize, we’ve already been through it also. Perhaps you should follow these recommendations to help you.

First of all, prime all of your cornhole boards, if at all possible with 2 coats of a good, thick primer. Don’t wind up being sloppy with it, simply give it only two good coats and allow to dry for not less than 48 hours. It’s always best to leave the boards inside a room temperature setting, 68-72 degrees.

As soon as the primer is dried, sand your entire board by using a very high grit sand paper to rough out any splinter patches which might still be on the surface.

When you have completed sanding using a fine grit paper you want to clean all of the dust off as good as you possibly can. This is important because any fine particles left behind can and will affect the adherance of the cornhole decal. This is easily achieved by using a tacky cloth, such as a cheese cloth and then following that with an ammonia cleaner, windex would work.

Now for the decal application.

Take that large masked vinyl you have and sit it on the cornhole board, masking end upward, so it’s possible to make out the print. Line it up basically where you need it and after that down the middle of the top place a piece of blue painters tape about half over the masking of the decal, place the extra half on the board to hold it in its place. Continue this part on the lower side.

Now, the fun part. Take the right side of the masking and gently begin to pull the tape back so that the decal is only stuck to the masking and the paper backing is left laying on the board. GO SLOW! Try to pull at a 45-60 degree angle from the paper.

After you have finished seperating the decal from the paper it will be stuck only to the masking at this point. Carefully lay the sticky side up on the other side of the decal that we haven’t done anything with to this point and grab your scissors. Cut the vinyl paper backing, the part where the decal was cut from, starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. A quick tip, if you get it started, close the scissor blades to an almost closed position and run the scissors upward. You shouldn’t have to work your hands on the scissors, you should only have to move your arm up the paper like cutting wrapping paper quickly. You must have a sharp pair in order to do this. The reason is we are trying to cut clean, and straight so the other side is an easier task to complete. This cut should be as straight as possible. It’s best to use an very sharp pair of scissors and simply work it from bottom to top.

We are ready to apply the first half of the cornhole decal. Begin by holding the masking tape perpendicular to the cornhole board. Take your squeegee and begin to stroke the masking tape up and down pressing the decal against the board. You can use anything from a credit card to your license if you don’t have a squeegee used to make signs.

Once you have completed the initial side you can remove the painters tape that was holding the decal in place. The other side is much easier to do as you won’t have to worry about the decal moving at this point. Remove the paper backing slowly again and hold the masking perpendicular again to the board. work from top to bottom squeegeeing while adding a bit of tension to the masking you are holding in the air. You are trying deserpately at this point to avoid and wrinkles that might happen from going to fast, or at a lousy angle. Remember to take your time and go slowly.

The time has come to reveal the decal on the board. You start by choosing the upper right hand corner and pulling the masking tape at a 180 degree level to the board. This means as we are pulling the masking tape away, we are keeping our hand as close to the board while pulling in the direction of the lower left hand corner. It is very important to go slow. If any part of the cornhole decal is not stuck properly it will come with the masking and rip away for any part that is stuck to the board. If this happens, simply put the masking tape back over the section and rub vigourously with your squeegee to make sure it will stick. Continue until you have completely removed the masking. If you see any bubbles in the decal you can easily remove these with a small pin or nail. Be careful not to rub the decal with the squeegee once the masking is removed, rather use your hand and gently push the bubbles out.

If you made it this far you should have your decal applied to one board and that means only one more to go. I hope you find these instructions useful for when you apply your cornhole decal! Ready for the clear coat yet? That comes in a later post. much, much easier!

Brian really loves to play the sport of cornhole. He’s been evaluating and covering cornhole bags and tournaments for almost 2