Ever since YouTube came into popularity, I actually feel like I’m a pretty crafty guy. Following along with one of the great DIY crafters on YouTube makes things somuch easier than it used to be. Now I can actually make something interesting without it resulting in another #PinterestFail project.
Photographers and artists have been using the photo transfer process for decades. In fact, for photographers that were shooting Polaroid photos, the art of taking that exposed peel-apart film, placing the negative face-down on paper (or another object) and transferring the resulting photo to that object has been one of the medium’s most popular DIY hacks for a long time.
But taking a regular printed photo and transferring that image to a block of wood? Now that’s new and interesting. In this great video by YouTuber Crystal Hethcote, she guides viewers through the process of taking one of their treasured photos, printing it out on regular copy paper and then transferring it to a smooth block of wood. And the coolest part? She does it all without saying a word by using a cool, time-lapse technique in the video.
This DIY project is simple enough for just about anyone to do and only requires a few items that you can get from your local craft store. You’ll need that printed photo, a block of sanded wood, some gel medium, a brush, and some Mod Podge. That’s it!
As you follow Hethcote, you’ll need to brush the gel medium onto the wood and then place the photo face-down on top. Let that dry overnight and when you come back, you’ll need to use a wet rag to brush off all the paper that remains. Then you just brush on the Mod Podge to seal the whole thing and, voila, you’ve got yourself a beautiful photo transferred onto a block of wood.
It’s a really cool trick that takes photo transfers to a new level and one that I’ll definitely be trying out with some of my favorite photos.
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Please SHARE this great DIY project with all your crafty friends and family!