A Mod Podge & Graphics Fairy kind of Day!

I had a few things gathered that I had just painted with chalk paint, and wanted to add some graphics, so its better to do these kind of things all at once don't you think?

Hang in there, because today I'll let you in on how I do Mod Podge transfers on to wood.

I didn't take before pics of all these pieces :-( but think "PLAIN WOOD" - you get the picture. Here are some close ups of the finished look using some favourite French graphics from The Graphics Fairy. If you haven't discovered Karen's amazing array of antique graphics and vintage images, her blog is a must see. Images like the Chocolat Lombart on this recipe box below, 

The image on this French Country Blue tray below, I have used on a few of my pieces: serving trays, stools, chairs, and cushions.

And this French Boutique label was a great size for this little rustic box:

But WAIT! What about that tray with "Tea & Biscuits" etched into its sides??

I'm glad you asked - I KNOW, I thought the same thing - a little on the boring side!

So back to The Graphics Fairy, searching for just the right image (because French just would NOT suit this one)... I finally decided on a Union Jack - after all, what says "Tea & Biscuits" more than the Mother Country herself.

Bring out the Mod Podge! Now I usually do black and white images, but the antique colours on this Union Jack were perfect for a lovely aged look. Remember to print in reverse using your printer settings if your graphic has text, as the image will be placed facedown. Paint the image thoroughly with Mod Podge and lay facedown, smoothing out any wrinkles. Allow to dry totally - DON'T continue until it is dry. I usually leave overnight for best results.

When the mod podge has dried, wet your fingers or a sponge and GENTLY rub over the image. Effectively, you are removing the paper, leaving the image behind which sticks to the painted wood via the Mod Podge. If you rub too hard, the image may come off or the mod podge may tear away. This sometimes happens along the edges, but adds to the aged effect. In the picture below, you can see the whiter part in bottom left still has white paper backing I have not rubbed off yet.

Here it is all rubbed back. Allow it to dry again. You will notice a slightly "furry" surface as the paper has not totally disappeared or your image will disappear too. I sand this back when it is fully dry, carefully sanding around the edges too, so they don't stand out too much.

And here's me sanding SUPER fast - ;-)

I had sanded the edges of the tray and on bits of the surface to give it a shabby chic look, but the wood underneath was a light colour, so didn't stand out very much (I could have opted to stain bits of it beforehand, but I didn't think of that at the time). My solution was to add some dark wax to a cloth and rub it into the sanded bits where the wood is showing through. This gives a nice aged look. I then went over the entire piece with clear wax. I would normally cover it over with another coat of Mod Podge to seal in the motif, or you can use a polyurethane varnish (satin) to seal it instead (probably a more waterproof option).

Ta Da ... Here she is. Tea & Biscuits anyone??

Thanks for reading my blog. Click here to find me on Facebook or Pinterest.