Monday, September 23, 2013

A Tiny Table

Sometimes the fastest way isn't always the best way,
Sometimes the best things in life take a while. 


Well friends, I have decided not to rent a vendor's booth to sell my stuff right now. It just doesn't feel like the right time to amp it up. I have mixed feelings about this...I'm a little sad because I had so many cute things I wanted to try out in the booth, but I'm also a little relieved to have that off my plate at this time.

The good news is that I have lots of small furniture to use in projects with you now! Today, I'm going to show you how to do an image transfer.

This is a table I did a while back using this technique.


Image transfer can be used on wood or metal, painted or not..and it's best for those fonts and pictures with all the little swirlies you don't want to trace and impress. But let me tell y'all something...this technique is a labor of love. It's not a "quickie" project, so if you are prone to abandon things the minute they begin to feel like work, don't try this on something you can't live without.

Whatever you choose to apply the image transfer to needs to be completely ready, minus clear coat, before you begin.



 Once your piece is ready to go, you will need to find your image. My go to website for awesome, free images is graphicsfairy.com. There is so much here, you will have a hard time choosing.

Print your image...you will be placing the image face down for the transfer, so if it has words you will need to reverse it before you print.



Now trim as much white from around your image. This will just make less work later.



Break out your Mod Podge and a brush.


 You are going to paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the image. If you haven't worked with it before, let me warn you, Mod Podge is a finicky little brat. Use too little and it won't stick, use too much and your paper will get all nasty and fall apart. So, with that in mind, apply a generous, but not ridiculous, layer onto the image. Now, place the image, Mod Podge down onto your piece...it may be a good idea to do a placement test BEFORE applying the Mod Podge...once you stick it, it needs to stay stuck. Rub it gently with your fingers to get any air bubbles out.



Now...walk away. I know alot of you are going to want to "check" it...want this project to move a little faster at this point..trust me, walk away. If you mess with it, you're going to screw it up. It needs to dry for a few hours, at least. If your OCD is just out of control, plan this project strategically right before bed so you have no choice but to leave it alone.

Once the paper is good and dry, it's time to remove it to reveal the transferred image. I realize I just spent an entire paragraph berating you to let this thing dry...but now you are going to wet it again. I usually take a wad of paper towels, wet them, and wring them out really well...now gently dab the image with them until it"s damp. You don't want it WET.

Once it is damp, start rubbing the paper with your finger...GENTLY. If you rub too hard, you'll remove the image and all...which I do purposefully sometimes, because I like the aged look it gives. If you screw up and remove some parts of the image, say you were going for an aged look.



When all the paper is removed from the image, spray the entire piece with clear coat.



That's it!! Its a little time consuming, but not hard!

I'm going to end this post with a completely random share...you may or may not know this about me, but I love a good garage sale. My entire family knows that no matter where we are going, a garage sale stop could happen at anytime. In fact, baybay has been trained to look for garage sale signs as we travel and announces them from the backseat.

I found the motherlode this past weekend...can I just tell you...fabric for $1 a yard....ONE DOLLAR A YARD, people!! The only thing was, this fabric was still in the lady's sewing room.  In plastic boxes.  Lots of them. Imagine me, waist deep, in a stranger's sewing room, frantically digging through tons of fabric....my husband is cringing right now, I know it.  But it was worth it...I mean, really, $1 a yard!!

The first person to comment on my facebook page at www.facebook.com/backporchrevival, within my traveling area (sorry folks, I'm not mailing this one) can claim the image transfer table as their own! 


No comments:

Post a Comment