Vonnie walks you through every decision, every technique, and every gorgeous detail. This one is worth watching start to finish.

IOD Products

🎨 IOD Hazel & Bay Mould

🎨  IOD Lost Garden Decor Transfer

🎨 IOD Air Dry Clay

Additional Supplies

✨ Casting resin

✨ Cornstarch

✨ PVA wood glue + fine nails + tape

✨ Primer + chalk-style paint

✨ Clear wax + dark wax

✨ Gold gilding wax

✨ Fine-tooth handsaw

✨ Small brush + soft cloth

✨ Rubber brayer + spatula

Before we get into the steps, Vonnie shares that she uses both air dry clay and resin castings of the Hazel & Bay Mould, and she uses them for different reasons. These tips here are good to keep in mind for whatever project you might be embarking on.

Air dry clay is your go-to for flat trim surfaces and filling gaps. It’s easy to cut, easy to shape, and sits beautifully flush against a flat surface.

Casting resin is the better choice anywhere a casting will overhang or extend past an edge, like on drawer overhangs, where air dry clay would be vulnerable to snapping under pressure. Resin gives you the durability you need in such spots.

Knowing which material to reach for and when is one of those decisions that separates a good furniture makeover or DIY from a great one. 🙌

Start by dusting the Hazel & Bay Mould with cornstarch. Tried and true, this is your path to a clean, easy release. Take your time pressing the air dry clay evenly into the mould, especially into the fine details. A spatula, your fingers, or a rubber brayer all work beautifully here.

One of our favorite IOD Mould features is the built-in millilitre and gram markings. These allow you to measure exactly how much resin or clay you need before you pour, so there's no waste and no guesswork. 💕

Once filled, scrape the back of each casting flat so it sits flush against the furniture surface when adhered. For air dry clay in humid conditions, pop the filled mould into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up before releasing. Just don’t let it fully freeze or set inside the mould! 😅 Working the resin castings? Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cure time.

Lightly scuff the backs of your resin castings with sandpaper, then attach each one using PVA wood glue. Hold them in place with tape while the glue sets, and use fine nails for added security on larger pieces.

Vonnie's Pro Tip: When a casting runs across a drawer seam, use a fine-tooth handsaw to slice through it cleanly along the seam line. The detail stays perfectly intact on both pieces, and the drawers open and close without a single snag. 🤭

With all the castings in place, apply a primer coat over the entire piece. This is a step worth taking seriously. Primer creates a unified blank canvas across all your mixed materials (wood, clay, resin) and ensures the paint goes on evenly and adheres beautifully to everything.

Once primed, paint the whole desk in your chosen color. Vonnie uses a lime green mineral paint for that beautiful matte finish that takes wax so well. If you’re using chalk-style paint, apply a coat of clear wax or lacquer before moving on to the colored waxes, as this seals the paint and gives you much better control over the dark wax in the next step.

We love this step, and it really makes the Hazel & Bay Mould detail go from beautiful to breathtaking. 😍

Using a small brush, work dark wax into all the crevices and recesses of the moulded castings. Then buff away the excess with a soft cloth, leaving the wax settled deep in the detail work. The contrast between the dark recesses and the painted raised surfaces creates incredible dimension. You can see every leaf vein, every berry, and every fine edge pop.

Lastly, the finishing touch. Gold gilding wax is applied lightly to the raised elements - the berry tips, the leaf edges, the highest points of the design. It catches the light beautifully and really elevates the whole piece. 🥰

Vonnie likes to go all out, and uses the Lost Garden Transfer as the final layer of transformation. Vonnie’s approach to applying it across multiple drawers is worth paying close attention to.

She cuts the transfer apart and customizes the placement drawer by drawer, building a composition that feels thoughtfully designed rather than randomly applied. Working one drawer at a time, she uses the included plastic tool to burnish the transfer down and release it from the carrier sheet, then rubs the shiny backing sheet over the design to secure every edge completely.

One important tip:  if you plan to apply dark wax over your transfers, seal them with clear wax first. Dark wax applied directly over a water-based polyurethane topcoat can wipe the transfer off too easily, as the clear wax creates a protective layer that keeps everything in place. 💕

A plain wooden desk. The IOD Hazel & Bay Mould. The Lost Garden Transfer. And Vonnie, who looked at all three together and saw something quite unique. 😍

IOD Products Used

🎨 IOD Hazel & Bay Mould

🎨  IOD Lost Garden Decor Transfer

🎨 IOD Air Dry Clay

Additional Supplies

✨ Casting resin

✨ Cornstarch

✨ PVA wood glue + fine nails + tape

✨ Primer + chalk-style paint

✨ Clear wax + dark wax

✨ Gold gilding wax

✨ Fine-tooth handsaw

✨ Small brush + soft cloth

✨ Rubber brayer + spatula

Want to see more gorgeous work from Vonnie? Find her at @VonBooFurnitureDesigns.  Her feed is full of furniture transformations that will inspire your next project. 😍

Ready to get your hands on the Hazel & Bay Mould and Lost Garden Transfer? Find your nearest IOD Stockist using the big red Where to Buy button on our website. 🙌

New to IOD? Our Product 101 pages are packed with beginner-friendly techniques to help you get the most out of every product — we are so giddy to be part of your creative journey.

Made something with the Hazel & Bay Mould? Share it with the IOD Creative Tribe on Facebook — it is the most supportive community of makers on the internet, and we genuinely cannot wait to see what you create. 💕