Waterproof decals with Oracal 651 & Silhouette Printable Vinyl

This post has been sitting on my to-do list for the past year. Yes! An entire year, but I guess all things have their timing. In this case, I made these water bottle decals over a year ago and they are still holding up amazing. So I can share how I did it and share also the longevity of it.

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Waterproof Water Bottle Decals with Silhouette

For this project, I used Silhouette Printable Vinyl and Oracal 651 clear adhesive vinyl to create the waterproof decals.

Now, the first thing I want to emphasize is that if you are creating decals to sell, this is probably not the method for you. But, it is a great option for personal use. I’ll explain a bit more as we go through the tutorial.

Supplies used for Waterproof Water Bottle Decals

• Silhouette Printable Vinyl
• Oracal 651 clear
• Transfer tape
• Water bottle
• Alcohol swab
• Scissors
• Spatula
• Weeding tool

Designs used in this project:

• American Eagle Sublimation Design by Graphic House Design – Design #409045
• Tiger Sublimation Design by Graphic House Design – Design #399143
• Pink Watercolor Florals by Rhonna Farrer – Design #295057
• Road Trip by Carta Bella – Design #413939
• Watercolor Flamingo by Your Magic Line – Design #410063

Creating the Waterproof Decals

Check out the video tutorial on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE or find the written tutorial below.

Since this was a project for my daughter, she helped with the entire process.

First was picking the designs and setting them up to print and cut with Silhouette.

Once the file was set up, we sent it to the printer.

Make sure that the ink is completely dry before touching when you are doing print and cut. You do not want any part of the design, including the registration marks to smear. Smeared registration marks can affect the accuracy of a print and cut with Silhouette.

After printing, we placed it on the cutting mat and sent it through the Silhouette to cut around the design.

Find more tutorials on Print and Cut with Silhouette HERE or check out my Silhouette class on Teachable – Silhouette Print and Cut Basics to Design Files to Troubleshooting Course HERE.

Next, it was time to setup the offset with the Oracal 651 clear. I recommend saving this file and then using File > Save As to save a file with the offsets, just in case you want to come back to this project later.

Silhouette makes this so easy with Offset Panel. Adjust the distance as needed for your project and your design.

When creating the offset, keep in mind that it’s designed to keep water out. I’d recommend a good size offset, but you don’t want it larger than necessary. Clear as mud right! Each project & design may vary. You want to make sure that the printed material is well protected so water doesn’t sneak in under it.

For more details on Offset in Silhouette, check out this post – Let’s Explore v4 – Offset Panel HERE

I no longer need the graphics or the original cut lines, so I can arrange the offset cut lines to maximize my space on my material and then send this to cut out of Oracal 651 clear.

Clean the surface of the blank with alcohol and allow it to dry. This gets rid of any oils or debris that could interfere with a clean adherence.

Weed the excess away from the Silhouette printable vinyl and the Oracal 651 clear.

Then simply apply the Oracal 651 clear over top of the printed design as centered as possible.

I’m sure you could find many ways to get it lined up exactly perfect, but in reality, I just eyeballed it. If I mess up, I can reprint and recut – So Simple!

It turned out fantastic! Here are the original photos on the day it was created.

That was in August 2022 and it has held up so well. A year later here is what it looks like.

There are a few nicks and dings where she dropped it and some residue from other stickers she thought she could add to it. Those “stickers’ didn’t last through the first wash.

She was headed out the door for her first day of school and we snapped these photos. As you can see it has held up nicely, even with ice water and extended use through an entire year.

Now, a few more tips for success!

• Make sure to clean the surface of your blank, so you get the best adhesion with your materials.
• After applying the decal, wait 48 – 72 hours prior to use. I’d recommend 72 hours. This allows the adhesive on the material and vinyl to set up or cure.
• Then hand wash, no picking, no scrubbing, no dishwasher for best results.

Now, I mentioned at the beginning that if you are a seller, this probably isn’t the best method. Why?

Well, there are few reasons.

1. The method I used is not UV safe. So it’s not recommended for outdoor use.
   It has worked great for water bottles used daily, but they aren’t out in the sun.
2. It may not be efficient for mass production. After applying the Oracal 651 clear layer to the printed material, if it’s left too long it could start to cure to the backing of the printed material. For best results, I would recommend for immediate application. But, you never know until you try.

It has worked great for my daughter’s water bottle that she has used almost daily for an entire year and is still going strong.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy !

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