Image Transfer

Do you ever see those awesome Pinterest posts of people transferring an image to a piece of wood or some other type of material? I have tried a couple techniques in the past but they were hard, time consuming, etc. But, thanks to the folks at CreativeBug, I have finally been able to learn a few easy ways for transferring images, and I am so excited to share one! 

​So, to get started, I have this awesome magical image of a cat hanging out with a moon.... But I want it in a creepy spellbook I am making for a gift... how on earth can I get it in there???

Supplies Needed:

• book/paper/wood (whatever your transferring to)
• desired image printed on copy paper
• straight edge
• warm water
• Mod Podge
• foam brush
• sponge
• cup

Note: If you are transferring anything involving words you must print a mirror/reversed image of those words or they will be backwards!

1. Create a good solid layer of Mod Podge wherever you are transferring your image to. Not "goopy" just a good solid layer with nothing left bare.

2. Flip your image face down into the Mod Podge. (I recycle paper so ignore the text on the back of my sheet...). And smooth out with your straight edge. Get rid of any air pockets. 

4. Once it is dry, start running your water to get it nice and warm, not hot, you'll burn your fingers, just warm. Fill up your cup with the water. Dunk your sponge in and get it nice and saturated, squeeze it out just a little. Start dripping some of the water onto the paper and then start rubbing in circular motions. 

​3. Wait for the Mod Podge to completely dry. While this is happening, I tear off any excess paper around the image... Probably should have done this first!

You don't have to but I just like to get it out of the way. 

​You will start to see your image through the paper... which I think is pretty cool! 

5. As the paper gets nice and damp, you can use your fingers to start rubbing the paper off, again in a circular motion (do this slowly, if you do it too fast, you might pull the ink completely off).

The paper will turn to pulp and will start to come off in skinny rolls. This gets kind of gross and messy, and the feeling of rubbing the paper off bothers me after a while because I am a weirdo! 

You may have to reapply more water throughout this process. Or, if you're like me, I noticed after it dried that I could still see paper remnants and did the process over again to get rid of that look. 

6. And wa-la your image is officially transferred! You can do with it whatever you wish!