Holy Mod Podge

January 23, 2013

Holy Mod Podge

It's been a really, REALLY long time since our last post.

That little thing called life does sometimes get in the way...

I'd love to say I've been so busy with my current crafty obsessions (plural) but that is only partly true.

In the midst of career changes, holidays, wedding planning, birthdays and deaths, acceptance into Law school and demo-ing a bathroom that I was completely unprepared for... Well, Happy 2013, everyone! :)

So, allow me to back track a bit and tell you guys a little about this neat little trick with Mod Podge. Many of my family members received sentimental photos over the holiday season due to this nifty little discovery.

It's super cool... pretty simple... and makes the NEATEST photos ever.

Let's begin, shall we?

All you need is a gel medium (available at most craft stores), Mod Podge (obviously), a photo or image of your choice printed on the thinnest paper possible, and a piece of wood. I have printed most of my photos at Staples using their engineer prints which run around $0.17 p/print. No kidding.

You can go as large as you'd like, but one thing to keep in mind is that the larger you go the more you will lose the clarity of the photo.

I don't mind that, as the final product is supposed to have a "vintage" feel to it.

Old photos look extra neat with this method.

Another thing to note is that the photos will be mirror-image when transferred, so if you have any writing or numbers in the photo (or anything that will be backwards if transposed) go ahead and flip your photo before printing. Or do like I did and make two unnecessary trips to Staples. Your choice. :)

Some of my favorites have been transposed onto salvaged pieces of wood.

For smaller gifts, the wooden plaques that you can find at any craft store work really well. You could even get really crafty and impose a photo on an old table top, or any wood surface really. But... don't steal my idea. I haven't tried that yet.

This also works on canvas pretty well, although I prefer the look of wood.

All you do is spread a liberal amount of the gel medium onto your desired surface.

Place your photo face down and use a credit card or the like to smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. It doesn't have to be perfect, again the idea is for it to look a little vintage.

Let dry for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Wet the entire surface with a damp cloth and begin to remove the saturated paper.

I found it easiest to roll the paper with my fingers, but my sister uses the wet cloth to gently scrub and remove the paper.

To each their own, and the result is the same really.

This is where you will spend the most time. Be patient here because the photo will come off if you are too rough when removing the paper.

Once all of the paper has been removed let the piece dry.

Once dry, apply a generous coat of Mod Podge.

I used the gloss Mod Podge, and I have been very happy with the results.