DIY: Transfer Image to Wood

Transferring your favorite images onto wood creates a vintage chic, textured look for any apartment or dorm. With a little patience, follow these easy five steps from Valley’s DIY collection.

Supplies:
access to laser printer
block of wood
matte gel medium
matte mod podge
paint brush
scissors
towel
water

Step 1: Print the picture you’d like to transfer from a laser printer. You can find a laser printer in any of the computer labs on campus. I chose to print in black and white, but color ink works just the same. Remember to print the image reversed onto the computer paper. If necessary, crop with scissors to a desired size before transferring.

Step 2: With a paintbrush, put a layer of matte gel medium onto the wood. The matte gel medium can be purchased at Uncle Eli’s, an art supply store on Beaver Ave. When applying the gel medium, make sure to apply it in an even, yet thin coat.

Step 3: Place the image face down onto the wood surface. Smooth out all air bubbles and wipe excess gel medium. Let dry overnight for a minimum of eight hours.

Step 4: Transferring the image requires a lot of water, so cover your work space with a towel before starting. Moisten the image with water until its damp enough for the paper to deteriorate. With your fingers, rub the paper from the ink image. It doesn’t take much pressure for the paper to rub off, so do this step very gently. Once the paper is completely removed, use a soft, wet rag to get rid of any remaining residue.

Step 5: Let the wood completely dry. After making sure all paper residue is removed, apply a thin layer of matte Mod Podge to seal and finish the surface. Mod Podge can be purchased at either Uncle Eli’s or Walmart. Let the surface dry, once again, and enjoy!