Friday, April 29, 2011

Image Transfer Coffee Gift Bag

I'm going to show you how to make a charming personalized gift bag to show your friends and family that you care. I'm going to do this using a very simple image transfer technique that is very useful in creating mixed media. This technique works on card stock, wood, canvas, etc. but doesn't work so well on non-porous surfaces like glass. You can transfer images from newsprint, magazines, or print up your own. You can pretty much use any image that isn't glossy.

What you will need:
-Scissors
-Pictures you want to transfer
-Paintbrush
-Gel medium (found in the paint section of arts and crafts stores)
-Bag, Canvas, or wood (item you want to decorate)
-Old credit card

*You may want to get adhesive to glue small objects onto your finished product like dice, playing cards, pennies, coffee beans, lace, etc.

Ok, here we go. First I recommend covering your work surface. Now you are going to paint the surface of the bag with gel medium. Apply the image (inked side down) to the painted surface. If you apply to much gel medium and it oozes out from under the picture simply wipe it away with your fingers. Now take a credit card and scrape it across the images back side for 30 seconds. This presses the ink into the gel medium, so the more you scrape the more the image will transfer. But don't take longer than a minute or the gel will dry completely and you will have a tough time getting the paper off.

Now slowly peel the paper off.You may notice ghostly white spots where the paper came off with the ink. You can gently rub it off or leave it there. If you leave it there you get a more vintage textured look. It really depends on the effect you are going for.

You can layer pictures on top of one another. Just apply more gel medium on top of the desired area and repeat the instructions above.

I decided to grunge up the bag a bit by sloppily applying black paint with a dry paintbrush (remember a little goes a long way). Smear it around, and there ya' go.


I glued coffee beans to the bottom corner.



... and added a twine bow





Voila! The finished product.


Linked up with...
and...
I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Naturally Me Creations, The Blackberrry Vine, Just a Girl, It's a Hodgepodge Life, Singing Three Little Birds, Under the Table Sleeping, Not Just a House Wife, All Thingz Related, Night Owl Crafting, Someday Crafts, Hope Studios, Blue Cricket Designs, Homemaker On a Dime

15 comments:

  1. This is great! I didn't know it's so easy to do image transfers. Now to find this gel medium. :)
    I'd love for you to link this up at one of my weekend linky parties if you want. :) (Fri-Sun)

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  2. That's so cool! I love it!

    The Pretty Packages Party is going on now. I'd love for you to stop by and share your beautiful bag.

    http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/2011/04/pretty-packages-party-9.html

    Smiles!
    Jami

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  3. Thanks ladies! I will most definitely be participating.

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  4. Man Alive - that's fantabulous!!!

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  5. LOL Well thank you Aroura.

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  6. Thanks for sharing this technique! I'll definitely have to give it a try...I love how it came out!

    [visiting from Craft-o-maniac]

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  7. Very cool! Found you on Sassy Sites:)
    ~Courtney

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  8. This is such a great tutorial and I am excited to try this technique! Your bag looks amazing and I am so happy to be your newest follower! Thanks for linking to Gettin' Krafty With It!

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  9. Much appreciated Krafty Kat!

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  10. Hi, Heidi! I'm admiring all your creative posts here so can you please share them with us at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop? Hope to see you there at the party :)

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  11. Hi Heidi! Welcome to Blogsville! Warning: Blogging is addicting -- proceed with caution. Thanks for following me -- and now I'm following you, also. LOVE the coffee bag! I think I could embellish my entire home in a coffee theme if my family would let me. Looking forward to sharing inspiration. And congrats on your adorable daughter!

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  12. Yay, you came! Thank you for linking up this great post at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop :) Hope to see you again this Sunday!

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  13. So cute! Please share on my Reap What You Sew Sundays giveaway linky party! http://the4rsramblings.blogspot.com/2011/05/reap-what-you-sew-sundays-4-winner.html

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  14. Neat tutorial! I didn't know how easy this was. Thanks for linking up at I Made It! Monday at Ninth Street Notions. Can't wait to see what you have this next week!

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  15. Thanks a lot for sharing image transfer coffee gift bag.
    Its simply great idea.

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