DIY Photo Transfer to Wood Panel

This is a really cute idea which can be used on more than just a wooden slab, although that is what I’ll showcase here. Once you have the technique down, you can really play around and create fabric pieces or even transfer your photos to furniture!

Materials:

• Photo you want to transfer
• Light-colored piece of wood
• Simple photo-editing program
• Laser printer or access to one
• Scissors
• A bone folder or the edge of a gift card or credit card
• Matte gel medium
• Mod Podge with your choice of finish
• 2 different brushes
• Towel/rag
• Towel and spare paper to protect your work space

1. First you need to reverse your photo using the photo-editing program. That way, when you actually transfer it to the wooden piece, it won’t be backwards. You’ll also want to make sure the resolution of the picture is 3000 DPI and that it is the right size and shape for the wooden piece you have chosen.

2. Print out your edited image using a laser printer.

3. Use your scissors to cut your image out so that it fits onto the wood or is your desired size.

4. Cover the photo with a thin layer of the matte gel medium. Put a piece of scrap paper underneath the photo so as not to mess up your work space.

5. Carefully lay the image (gel side down) onto the wooden piece. Use the bone folder or your hard edge to smooth out any air bubbles that may have formed.

6. Let this dry overnight or for at least 8 hours.

7. After you’ve waited for the project to dry, come back to it. Dampen your rag or towel. Make sure to squeeze out excess water, you don’t want it to be sopping wet. Lay the towel on top of the paper for a few minutes, or you can press down on it to make sure it’s wet. Put a towel underneath where you’re working so you don’t get water everywhere.

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8. Use the rag or your fingers to peel off the damp paper fibers. This may take a while. If you use the rag, you will end up pulling some of the picture off as well, this will give your image a distressed, vintage look.

9. After you’re finished pulling all of the paper off, let the project dry. If you notice any leftover pieces of paper sticking to the picture just get them a little wet and pull them off.

10. Once your project had totally dried, finish it off with a layer of the Mod Podge, and you’re done!