Warm Your Decor with DIY Wood Photo Transfers

DIY PROJECT NEED – UNIQUE PHOTO DECOR

I.LOVE.PHOTOS. Just like most people, I have personal photos throughout my home. I’ve had photo galleries, photo ledges, end table photos, canvas photos, you name it. But when everyone has so many photos, how do you make specific ones stand out? After my brother’s golden retriever Maggie passed, I wanted to make something in her memory. Moreover, I wanted it to be unique.

MY DIY SOLUTION FOR PHOTO DECOR

Since my brother was on his own, I also wanted the photos to serve as décor to warm his space. (Yes, that’s code for bachelor decor). Hence, I chose a wood transfer technique for a photo grouping. Ultimately, it’s important to remember to use a lighter wood where the black ink from the photo (printed on regular printer paper) will stand out. Believe it or not, plywood was my answer. It has ‘grain’ for movement, it is light in color, it is inexpensive, and it comes precut in smaller sizes (2’x4′) in the big box stores to make your DIY projects easier.

HOW TO BASICS OF WOOD PHOTO TRANSFER

You can find plenty of tutorials for photo transfer onto wood (this one by It’s Always Autumn discusses the difference between using Mod Podge vs medium gels) but here is the gist:

• print photo on basic printer paper
• cover wood with mod podge
• lay photo print side down onto wet mod podge
• smooth out all bubbles and press photo into mod podge
• let dry overnight at minimum
• wet paper
• gently rub paper off of wood

Inevitably, you will have some of the photo ink rub off with the paper. If you strive for perfection, this technique is not for you! As well, the photo will be reversed from how it is printed.

You may notice that I decided to stain the edges of the wood prior to transferring the photo. This allows for part of the wood to act as a frame for the picture. However, make sure to layout the photo first to know exactly how much to stain from the edge.

DIY WOOD PHOTO TRANSFER FOR MORE THAN HOME

Finally, don’t limit your DIY photo transfer projects to personal photos for the home. As a matter of fact, I used this same technique in hubby’s office decor in the lower level. I simply switched up the photo to something that was more fitting to the space – a picture of the old court house.

I haven’t yet tried this technique with color printer photos. If I did, I would likely use a nicer wood with finer grain for a better distinction of color. Certainly, the choice of color vs black and white photos can be a matter of personal preference regardless of how they are mounted. However, If you really want to emphasize particular photos, I think they should be the opposite of your general decor scheme. Meaning that black and white photos can actually stand out from a more colorful decor scheme (and vice versa).

Want to see my personal twist on a photo ledge using fabric? Get access to the Style Library for the inside scoop!