Turn your favourite moments into an attractive feature wall by transferring photographs directly onto wood.
The project
I created these pallet picture frames by transferring photos to wood, and it's easy enough to do at home on the kitchen bench.
How to transfer photos to wood
A step-by-step guide for creating your own pallet picture frames.
Tools and materials
- Mod Podge photo transfer medium (for light or dark fabrics)
- Matte finish varnish suitable for photos
- Recycled pallet timber or any type of wood
- White A4 paper
- Laser printed photo
- Foam brush
- Rubber roller or card
- Soft cloth
- Orbital sander or sandpaper
Step one
Print images using a laser (not inkjet) printer on white A4 paper, making sure the image is switched to mirror. If you don't have a laser printer at home, any printing store should be able to do this for you at a cheap price.
Step two
Create your picture frame using recycled pallet timber or any type of wood. Measure your photo and add an extra 30mm to each side to give you the dimensions of a frame.
Step three
Use a foam brush to apply the Mod Podge onto the face of the image and then paste it onto the frame, gently rubbing all corners and making sure it remains centred. Remove any bubbles using a rubber roller, card or soft cloth.
Step four
Wait 24 hours, and then gently rub a damp cloth on the paper. You'll be left with a thin white layer. Take your time to peel away all the paper by lightly working your finger over this thin top layer of paper, slowly revealing the image.
Step five
Give the image a few wipes and then brush on matte varnish to protect the image.
Step six
Find different ways to give the frame a rustic look by using stains, burning the wood, or giving the edges of the image a light sand.
More pallet timber projects
The Bunnings Workshop community has shared loads of clever and creative projects using pallet wood. Get more inspiration from our Top 10 most popular pallet projects.
