Reversible Wood Transfer Sign ~ Pinterest Challenge

Welcome to the September Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop {and y’all too} to not just pin, but to make it happen! Look below for a list of past Pinterest Challenges.

Past Challenges

• January ~> Making Decorative Paper Clips
• February ~> Recycled Paper Basket
• March ~> Recycled Drawer Paint Storage
• April ~> DIY Rope Basket
• May ~> Crocheting Over Fat Yarn
• June ~> DIY Spinning Yarn Butler
• July ~> Water Color Glass

So this month, I chose to try a wood transfer method. I had 3 different pins on 3 different boards & I narrowed it down to one to try this month. Mostly because it was the only method that I had all the supplies on hand for! Or so I thought I did until I realized I only had freezer paper, not wax paper. I decided to go with that & see how it turned out! Anyway, I’m using the method from this pin that comes from Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff. You can check out the other two pins here & here. I will be trying those once I get the supplies! : )

The Supplies

Karen made it very clear in her post that this technique needs to be done on unfinished wood. I decided this old, wooden cutting board in my thrifty stash would be perfect!

I did sand down both sides to knock off the who-knows-what from years of use as a cutting board. The edges I left un-sanded because I plan to paint them.

This board is not exactly flat which is probably one reason it wound up in the thrift store! Of course, that’s not a problem for me because this will be a sign. ; )

I don’t have any wax paper on hand, but I do have a big roll of freezer paper I use for all sorts of things. This has a wax side & a paper side, so I thought it would work for this technique. I used a piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of cardstock to trace onto the paper side of the freezer paper.

I suggest cutting just on the inside of the line you trace to try to keep the paper the right size. You could also use a paper-cutter if you want to be more exact.

Now that my board & paper are ready, let’s try this out!

Printing on Freezer Paper

I used my Canon PIXMA MG2522 All-in-One Inkjet Printer that I got from Wal-Mart for just $19! Yep, that’s right, $19 & it’s been an awesome printer so far! Anyway, you want to be sure you’re printing on the wax side of the freezer paper. Just like she says in here post, the ink is very wet still, so handle it carefully.

I very carefully flipped this over & smoothed it out onto the board. Make sure you hold the paper with one hand while you smooth it over with an old credit card or something similar.

Look at that! It worked! : D

I was so excited I may have done a little happy dance! This print came from the Graphics Fairy, by the way. I will say there was some faint color to this print, but that didn’t really pick up. Also, some of the details in the background didn’t show up. All-in-all, I really like how it turned out! It just needs a little something extra…

Shiny Details

I decided to paint the edge of the board with my new favorite paint, DecoArt Extreme Sheen in 24K Gold. I’m also going to add a few details to the tree.

This paint is so awesome! All that shine with just one coat! : D

I grabbed a smaller paint brush & started adding some “golden snow” to the tree branches. Loving it!

This turned out better than I imaged, which hardly ever happens. I felt like Bob Ross was whispering in my ear the whole time!

This will be perfect to display throughout the winter months without seeming like it’s just for Christmas time. For the reverse side I wanted something for the fall season. This “Pumpkin Spice” print from Live Laugh Rowe was the perfect choice!

I used a bit of brass, copper, & gold on that one! Just a quick tip – make sure you reverse anything with text before printing it out & applying it to the wood. I may, or may not, have done this & had to sand it off. Ahem.

I used the accidental double line to add a little gold highlight in the corner. So it worked out after all! ; ) Here it is on my mantel shelf looking nice & sparkly.

I added a green ribbon & some twine through the hole in the top for a bit of color. My mantel shelf is currently still holding summer decor, so that’s why it’s only the corner!

Maybe when we stop having humid-100-degree-suck-the-life-out-of-you-days, I’ll feel like decorating for fall! : P

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else made for their Pinterest Challenge this month!

To join next month’s #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ October Pinterest Challenge

Now let’s see what other things Pinterest inspired! Head over and visit the other hosts to see what they crafted, cooked, built, or tried!

Erlene – My Pinterventures • Alexandra – Eye Love Knots
Joanne – Our Unschooling Journey • Laurie – My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies
Jenny – Cookies Coffee and Crafts • Kristie – Teadoodles
Beverly – Across the Boulevard • Katrin – Kreativ K
Debra – Shoppe No. 5 • Gail – Purple Hues and Me
Emily – Domestic Deadline • April – Stampin Fool
Chelsea – Making Manzanita • Maureen – Red Cottage Chronicles
Julie – Sum of their Stories • T’onna – Sew Crafty Crochet
Michelle – Our Crafty Mom • Lisa – Blogghetti
Marie – The Inspiration Vault • Kelley – Simply Inspired Meals
Debbee – Debbee’s Buzz • Shirley – Intelligent Domestications
Habiba – Craftify My Love • Marci – Stone Cottage Adventures
Kenyatta – My Design Rules • Kelli – The Olympic Nest
Roseann – This Autoimmune Life • Terri – Our Good Life
Leslie – Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Lydia – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen