Photo Transfer Onto Canvas

I've always been very interested in Photo Transfers, and all the various techniques, but never took the time to actually do one. So...it's about time!!!


Photo of my Grandparents clock transferred onto canvas then made into a mini album.

When Club Scrap's February Full Circle kit included these great 6x6 self adhesive canvas squares, I had my blank canvas and was inspired. The goodie included 4x4 book boards for wrapping the canvas around. I created this cool little mini album with mine. Assembling a Scrap Rap Article using this goodie and technique was certainly a pleasure! For more detailed instructions check it out in the Feb Full Circle Scrap Rap to see the Canvas Creations pages. But for now, since its fresh in my mind, I'm going to go on and on about it heheee.



Clock faces are just "one of those things" I enjoy, so why not take some snapshots and transfer them onto canvas? Inside this album will be photos and quotes about time, love it!

I also enjoy my snapshots of my flower garden, so it was fun to create more colorful canvas photo transfers.

Garden Picture Photo Transfer Onto Canvas

Then of course pictures of loved ones always make great keepsake projects!!

Photos of my daughter transferred onto Canvas

So a little bit about how I did it and stuff I used.

There are many photo transfer techniques and products that will do the trick, but this is what I used, Liquitex Matte Gel Medium.

First I made photo copies of my 5x7 photos, it has to be a laser photocopy done on a machine that uses toner. Keep in mine if the photo contains numbers or words, the image needs to be flipped ahead of time and copied that way, otherwise you'll have a backward number or word on your photo transfer.

Spreading a thin layer to throughly cover the canvas and making sure there are no air bubbles hidding did the trick, I really worked the photo copy onto the canvas from the center out to make sure it was adhered in all areas.

**Allow the Gel Medium to dry over night**

Spray water onto the attached photo copy, you'll notice you have enough water when you start to see the image show though. Use finger tips to roll away the moist paper revealing the image.

Continue spraying water and removing paper until the desired look is acheived.  It took me three times of re-wetting to get the paper off that I wanted. If you rub too hard, you'll remove some of the image, but that's all part of the look if you ask me:)

While I was in the middle of the mess, I thought I would do a couple at the same time.



Now the canvases are ready to be rubber stamped on, made into wall hangings, or to become covers for a mini album.



Rubber stamped photo transferred canvas.

 Wrapping Book Board with canvas.

Gluing my kettle stitched block of pages onto my cool photo transferred covers.

How much fun can one person have with a couple of canvases?!?!?! A lot I would say.

Now I have to go clean all those little pieces of rolled up paper scraps off my work space from doing all these photo transfers, a small price to pay i think. 

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day!

Kay