Today’s DIY is something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time – wood photo transfers! This is such a fun project and a great way to turn your favorite photos into artwork. Once you get the technique down there is SO much you can do with it! I also found that there is a much faster and easier method to doing this than a lot of the tutorials I’ve seen online. You just need a few supplies and about an hour or two, and you’ll have beautiful wooden images to hang on your walls or give out as gifts. Next time I want to try doing this with coasters and instagram images!
What you need: Piece(s) of wood – I had my heart set on using these circular slabs and was so happy AC Moore had them! Mod Podge, a paint brush, a towel or rag, and photos. If you’re using digital photos that you print out, be sure to flip them horizontally first so that they aren’t backwards once you transfer them, and print them on a high quality color printer or laser printer. I used a laser-jet printer and it worked perfectly!
Cover the front of the photo with a thick coating of Mod Podge.
Place the photo face down on your piece of wood, and trim off the edges if needed. Use a credit card or driver’s license to smooth out any air bubbles. Let this sit for about an hour to fully dry.
Next, place a wet towel (not sopping wet, but more than damp) on top of the photo/piece of wood. Let it soak for about ten minutes or so, softening the paper.
Using the rag, gently start to rub the white paper backing – it will start to rub off, leaving your image behind!
For mine I chose an image of the location where Woodstock 1969 was held – as a lover of classic rock, visiting this place was very special to me. I love how you can see traces of the wood peeking through the sky!
Once you’ve removed all of the white, add a thin coating of the Mod Podge on top of the image to protect it. Let it dry, and your wood photo transfer is complete!
More DIY projects from the BLDG 25 Blog.
That is incredible!! I’m so going to try that!!
AMAZINGGGGGGG!!!!!!
I am going to try this for my wedding! Do the pictures need to be printed on any particular type of paper? (photo paper vs. printer paper?)
This is GORGEOUS!! SO going to try it :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/alexasonken
This is so awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What?!?!?! This is so easy and awesome!
I have a jar of mod podge totaly trying this!
http://happinessiscreating.com/
I saw on ebay and amazon that there are various kinds of mod podge, may you let me know which is the right one to buy for this awesome diy :)
Fiona – I used the glossy kind :) But matte also works!
From my experience, inkjet printed photos will generally run. Toner-based or Lazer-jet prints work best.
Great photo selection!
R
That is so romantic!!
This is a pretty cool idea. I definitely want to try it. Makes great decor for a house. Thank you from 3girls1apple.com
Coolest decor DIY ever!
So I tried this with photo paper and it is just a pain to try and get off all the paper from the wood. And even by being very careful I’m still getting spots of my picture missing. I’m going to try this again, but this time should I use regular paper instead of photo paper?
I love this DIY project! It’s very easy and there is a lot of opportunity to be creative. I wonder if it works on material other than wood. Woodstock- that very road is where I live <3 xxxo Bethel, NY.
I’ll print my photos to create this one. Thanks for sharing.
Do you use photo paper or printer paper?
I’ve tried this 4 times and it never worked :(
Could you be more specific as to what kind of paper you used?
Cool idea though!
Amazing!! I have a piece of wood exactly like that, so I will definitely have to try this!!
Can you print them out at like a cvs? i dont have a printer at home.
This didnt work. I printed my pictures at Walgreens. The white paper was so hard to take off. I waited 2 hrs to dry and even then it was such a hassle. The picture didnt stay on the wood. There’s so many blank spots missing from my picture. This should be explained in better detail.
Use regular printer paper, if you don’t have a laser printer go to staples and have them do a regular laser print on regular printer paper. If the paper is thicker (cardstock) or has a finish to it it will not absorb the water properly and/or won’t rub away properly! Hope this helps! Make sure to put a thick coat of mo doodle on too! :)
This is my signature topper for whatever gift I give to friends and family for special occasions. My favorite was a sonogram I transfered. You need to use regular paper. If you use anything else you wind up rubbing so hard you remove some of the transfer. Photopaper is the hardest. I like to blow them up to 8x10s first too. Also, 2 hours is not long enough most of the time. I let mine sit for 8 or more usually and have never had a problem. This is a LONG process and there are several layers to do…but if you are patient, the final product is beautiful. Also, a little flair tip: add those little wooden, pre-painted flowers, animals, etc from craft stores around the edges to give them a little extra :-)
Ohmy, I love it! <3
I've put the link to this DIY on my blog in Inspiration *I hope you dont mind* <3
And I linked you on my facebookpage: https://www.facebook.com/Oempaloempaas
xx.
I absolutely loved this project, so much so that I wrote a mini tutorial on my blog . I’d be happy to answer any questions about the project if anyone is having issues. This is such a great idea, I can’t wait to make even more now that I have the supplies. They make the best gifts!
Does the type of wood make a difference? I tried this and I am having a hard time getting the tiniest bits of paper to come off…any suggestions?
I tried this, it worked perfectly expcept when the photo transferred it was cloudy and it started leaving cracks. I used a photo paper. What did I do wrong?