Our first DIY project! This is kind of time consuming, but a nice DIY gift or craft to do. LaDIY Lola actually gave it to LaDIY Charlie as a secret Santa gift last year. Each side was adorned with the picture of a guy she found attractive and, along with a sonic screwdriver, it was a pretty slammin’ gift.
This time around, we’re making coasters or wall ornaments - we
haven’t decided yet - of our favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time. One side will
have the picture of a character and the other with have a title card pertaining
to that character.
Materials
Modge Podge, a paintbrush, a relatively large towel
dampened, a small towel dampened, photocopied pictures from a laser printer, wood
pieces, scissors, patience
Instructions
1. You gotta find the right pictures. After her extensive searching on Google images, Charlie emailed Lola her choices and Lola then printed them out on a special printer that Charlie doesn’t have access to because she’s a college student away from home.
a.
We originally were going to do both sides of the
wood at once, but were forced to do only one because Lola didn’t flip the
title cards. That being said, if you’re pictures have any sort of writing on
them, MAKE SURE YOU FLIP THE PICTURE. OTHERWISE THE WORDS END UP BACKWARDS ON
THE WOOD.
2.
Trace the outline of the wood onto the picture.
Then cut it out a couple centimeters from the outline just to be safe.3. Take the big towel and get it damp. If you have a man around or a muscular woman, ask them to help here. What we did was soak the towel in the bathtub and then wring it out a lot. We aren’t that strong. Needless to say, we didn’t go to the gym the next day.
4. With one of the pictures, paint the Modge Podge on the picture side of the picture. Not the blank back. The picture. I know it’s scary, but that’s how it works.
5. Gently place it on the wood. Use the ruler to flatten it out. Scrape it from side to side, up and down to get rid of air bubbles under the paper.
a.
When you’re finished, do it one more time. Just
to be safe.
6.
Place the wood on the damp towel, paper side
down, and let it soak.
7. And now comes the waiting part. With the first side, Charlie accidentally left the wood sitting for close to three days. You know, school and such getting in the way. With the other side, it was probably about a day and a half. If you’re impatient, 24 hours is the minimum soak time.
a.
This next part gets tedious, so we suggest some
tunes. Charlie listened to Christina Perri’s Head or Heart, but that’s just her
taste in music.
8.
Using the washcloth, lightly gently softly
GENTLY start rubbing the paper off.
a. Charlie found it easier if you bent the extra
paper, if there was any, over the edges of the wood and tear that off first.
GENTLY.
b. When I say gently, I mean like holding a two-hour-old baby puppy in a broke hand gently.
b. When I say gently, I mean like holding a two-hour-old baby puppy in a broke hand gently.
c.
I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH. BE GENTLE.
OTHERWISE YOU’LL RUB THE PICTURE RIGHT OFF THE WOOD AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE
POINT OF THIS ENDEAVOR IF YOU DID THAT?
 |
| See, look at the big chunk that came off on this one. But it's okay, because it didn't ruin the overall aesthetic. |
d.
That being said, some of the picture’s going to
come off. It’s supposed to look vintage, so it’s okay if parts come off. Just
be wary of faces. Don’t want any demon eyeless coasters if you don’t mean them
to be.
9.
Once you get the majority of the top layer of
paper off, set the coaster aside and let it dry a little bit. Move on to
the
other ones, eat a snack, check Facebook, whatever. Definitely clean up
what you can, especially when Charlie's roommate doesn't particularly
like it when she uses the bathroom for science experiments like this.
Then start rubbing the
remains off with your fingers.
a.
Beware of splinters.
b.
Also, when all is said and done, the picture is going
to cloud. In other words, the less you rub away the paper, the more it will show
up when it dries.
10. When
you’re satisfied with how the coaster looks, seal the deal with another layer
of Modge Podge. This will keep the picture from fading away in the future.
11. The final layer of Modge Podge should dry in about half an hour, and then you can start using your coasters. Have a party and show them off to all your friends!
12. If you want to do both sides, repeat the above steps, just on the other side. Charlie waited a couple days before doing the other side, mostly because Lola needed to flip the pictures and has too busy a schedule to visit her best friend, not that she’s bitter at all.
