3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Print PDF

Favorite

How to make Goose Hunting Decoys by Screen Printing w/ Hair Conditioner and Spraypaint

How to make Goose Hunting Decoys by Screen Printing w/ Hair Conditioner and Spraypaint

last photo ←

No messy ink-.99 cent paint & .99 cent hair conditioner. I call it "Screen-Painting". I printed a photo-finish on my decoys made of 4mm corrugated plastic (CoroplastTM) but any substrate paint will stick to will work. I know nothing about screen-painting and have never tried anything like this before I made these decoys. I did buy a cheap book that described the process for beginners. Highly recommend one of these books for "Dummies".

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1Materials needed

You can see there is not a lot of tools required. Simple handtools, Hunts speed ballTM screen developer and sensitizer, stapler, cheap dacron (wedding veil)type fabric from the fabric store, pine boards for a screen and a substrate (something to print your decoys on), spray paint, hair conditioner and a squeegee from the dollar store.

« Previous Step

Download PDFView All Steps

Next Step »

9 comments

May 3, 2012. 7:23 PMpotato gun how to says:

This is where I found my camouflage patterns

May 3, 2012. 7:20 PMpotato gun how to says:

This helped me out a lot on my decoys! I also painted camo on my blind using these how to paint camouflage stencils.

Mar 12, 2009. 11:47 AMBert2368 says:

Try egg white for a home made screen resist.

Oct 14, 2008. 7:53 AMballs to the wall says:

looks great

Oct 14, 2008. 8:15 AMI3uckwheat says:

ya looks amazing i should make a few

Sep 13, 2008. 11:42 PMUncle Kudzu says:

so the conditioner is used as a resist? i wonder if something like corn starch or wheat paste would give sharper edges if you let it dry on the substrate and then spay-painted? hmmm... what would be the perfect water soluble resist? pretty clever, rjeblogue! i may have to experiment with this!

Sep 14, 2008. 12:53 PM

rjeblogue (author) says:

Water soluble Resist is a good definition for the Hair-conditioner. While I never thought of making my own resist recipe, I did try hand lotion, dish soap, and many other similar things and Hair conditioner won. Some day I would like to reprint an image with multiple colors of spraypaint. Thanks for the ideas and comments.

Sep 15, 2008. 9:35 PMUncle Kudzu says:

i roughly know how to screen print, but your approach with the inexpensive and less mess materials grabbed my imagination. right now i'm playing with a mixture of bar soap shavings and corn starch whipped together to see what kind of washable film it will make. if i come up with something interesting/workable, i'll let you know!