It is super fun and easy to transfer image to wood!
These beautiful wooden wall art pieces take less than one hour to make. They are very easy to assemble, because they do not require any frames.
This simple technique also works great to transfer letters, stamps, and other motifs.
Once you learn to transfer image to wood, you will be able to make all kinds of printed wood art, home decor or gifts for loved ones.
Remember these wooden crates inspired by vintage farm and orchard crates? I made them using the same method!
Materials and tools: ( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. )
- wood: any kind of wood with a smooth surface will work. I used 1″x8″ common pine board from Home depot. If you cut the wood, you will need saw and sand paper. Remember to wear eye goggles!
- wax paper , or other kinds of smooth and non-absorbent paper such as the glossy backing paper for labels or stickers
- a inkjet printer ( most home printers are inkjet)
- saw-tooth hangers like these for hanging, and some bees wax and olive oil for the luscious home-made furniture wax finish
Here’s a quick video tutorial –
Here’s an outline of the process. Check out the crate tutorial for more detailed photos plus my 3 failures when I first learned this technique.
Step 1: Cut wood and sand edges. For this project we cut 1″x8″ common pine board into 8″x8″ pieces.
Step 2: Print image on wax paper.
Fold and tape one end of the wax paper onto a piece of regular 8.5″x11″ paper, this will be the end that first go through the printer. Leave the rest of the paper loose. Print your image so the ink goes on the wax paper or the glossy side of the backing paper for labels or stickers . Be very careful not to touch the printed surface.
Check out the wood crate tutorial for more detailed photos for Step 2 & 3.
IMPORTANT: flip the images if it contain words – remember they are going to be transferred (mirrored)!
You could also create your own art and transfer it to wood. Here’s a tutorial on how to paint watercolor flowers easily with no art experience!
Step 3: Transfer image to wood.
Take a wet piece of dry sponge or rag, wet the surface of the wood you are about to print on, then use the dry sponge or rag to absorb the water a little. The goal is to get the wood to absorb the ink, but if the wood is too wet, the ink would be runny.
You can always test on a piece of wood to get a feel of how wet/dry the wood should be.
Place the design onto the wood surface, try not to shift it once the paper touches the wood. Continue To Next Page…
This is wonderful! Thank you for the simple yet detailed instructions.
Wow love this look and can’t believe you did this from an inkjet. Saving so I can try this on some wood pieces.
i was thinking about doing something like this – i’m always seeing sayings on small pieces of wood.
my fiancee loves decorations with quotes – i want to put some on a short 2×4 and see how it looks!
Oh neato – this seems easy enough to try! Thanks for the beautiful step by step! I’m definitely gonna add it to my list of crafty things to try.
Wow, that’s easier than I thought! I wish I had the time to make creative things like that.
Lynn N.
http://emmaandrose.com
Pinterest/Twitter: @emmaandrose
Instagram: @emmaandroseblog
I really love this idea! I’m half scared I’d mess up my printer though. So it feeds through without jamming?
there is a trick to prevent it from jamming, see step 2! =)
what a fun project – im not sure mine would come out as great as yours look!
Beautiful work!! How well does the inkjet ink hold up for you without fading? Does the wax prevent the fading?
Thanks
great question! the crates we made from 3 years ago still look great. those kept away from direct sun look like new. the wax is more for protecting and seasoning the surface of the wood. 🙂
What an outstanding tutorial to make almost anything you’d like to put on a wall! Thanks so much, have pinned to do!
What a great project – it looks so easy! I love the crates! Pinning for later.
This is a great idea. Where did you find the images you used in the tutorial? I really like them!
hi rebecca! they are from graphics fairy, which i linked to at the end of article 🙂
These are beautiful and process looks simple. Do you know if this will also work on painted wood?
hi frances! i don’t think painted wood would absorb the ink very well =)
Wow! This is great information. The technique looks easy to follow. I love the look of art on wood. Thanks
I have a question about the wood. Can the wood be treated or untreated to work. My ink bleed when I pressed the sponge to it.
Hi! If the wood is too wet, the ink will bleed. I prefer the wood to be untreated – no chemical, and with a smooth surface 🙂
How did you seal it so the ink doesn’t run when setting a cold damp glass of my favorite tea on it?
hi stan! the wax finish is water resistant. you can also use a clear acrylic spray / sealer like this- http://amzn.to/2nFsteG which is more water proof =)
Hello!
For some reason mine is not printing vibrantly, and when I go to transfer it’s barely doing anything. I know I can’t be messing this up, it I a fairly foolproof method. or so it seems?
Any advice 🙂
Thanks!!
Jennifer
Hi jennifer! you can adjust the saturation of an image in gimp (free) or similar programs before printing . the key to a good transfer is to have the right amount of moisture on the wood. look through the detailed steps 🙂
Love this tutorial so much. Great for people who want to do these kinds of transfers and don’t have a laser printer! Most tutorials call for laser printers. Do you think this method would work on canvas?
Hi rosie, if it’s raw canvas, yes. Primed canvas will not absorb ink well 🙂
I’m going to try out this project next weekend. I’m going to pick up the materials tomorrow since I have a Michaels coupon. Thanks for mentioning that raw canvas works as opposed to primed. I want to do mine on canvas.
Commenting again because I forgot to ask a question. Do you have trouble with the wax paper getting jammed in your printer? I had mine get stuck when I tried to print for something similar to this project in the past and I’m afraid of it happening again. Thanks for any tips.
hi adrienne, there’s definitely a good tip here on how to tape the wax paper onto a piece of regular paper. the link is in step 2 ! 🙂
Thanks, Ananda! I did attach the wax paper to a piece of thicker printer paper that is more like cardstock but it still jammed (my printer and I have a quarrelsome relationship!) I think what I need to do is invest in a better printer, which is on my to-do list. Thanks for trying to help!
Is there a trick to getting the image I print out not to run on the wax paper? I followed step 2, but the image keeps getting smeared.
Did you print on normal or best setting? Is the image very densely colored?
Its a normally colored image. I used the best setting.
i would use normal print setting, ‘best’ puts out too much ink for the wax paper.
Will this work with family photos?
hi michelle, yes you can use this technique to transfer photos to wood. photos with more contrast will give better result . =)
JUST AWESOME