I’ve had the idea to make this DIY wood photo art for at least a year now. Since we were coming up on our 5th anniversary, I decided to finally make it as a gift for my husband! This was actually a much simpler DIY than I expected (which is a nice change given how my bedroom makeover has been going!).
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Before I get into the details of this DIY, I want to thank the following brands for partnering with me on my bedroom makeover:
- Sleep & Beyond for my new favorite bedding
- By Cloud Designs for one-of-a-kind genuine Turkish rug pillows
- Fanimation Lighting for our new modern ceiling fan
How to Make DIY Wood Photo Art
Supplies Needed:
- 4-5″ Wood Slices (a few options: similar to mine, simple & thin, rustic with bark)
- Jute String
- Parchment Paper
- Printer
- Scissors
- Strong Glue and/or Stapler
- 220 or 320 Sandpaper (optional)
- Clear Spray Sealant (optional)
Directions:
1. Pick the Photos You Want to Use for Your DIY Wood Photo Art
You want to pick photos that are crisp, clear, and not overly busy. Although I just chose whichever photos I wanted. Edit the photos to increase the contrast and clarity. I chose to also make mine black and white, but you can also do this in color! Keep in mind that when you transfer the photos, they will be reversed. If you want the transferred photo to be oriented correctly, you’ll need to flip the image before printing.
2. Cut Your Parchment Paper to Size
I grabbed a sheet of paper from my printer and folded the parchment paper over it to size. You can multiple sheets of parchment paper at once by first taping them together and then cutting. I cut three sheets at once and it worked just fine!
3. Prepare Your Wood for DIY Wood Art
Depending on your wood, you may want to sand it to create a smoother surface. I used my orbital sander to lightly sand the surface of my wood, then wiped away the dust with a slightly damp cloth. You could also do a light sanding by hand or skip this step if your wood is smooth enough!
4. Print Your Photos onto the Parchment Paper
Insert the parchment paper into your printer. To print the images the correct size, I inserted them into a word document and arranged them to fit two to a page. Before printing, change your print settings to the highest quality, and if you have it, select the setting for a glossy surface. I suggest printing one sheet at a time as you want to transfer the images while the ink is wet. Make sure you have the wood ready to go, then hit print! The photos most likely won’t print perfectly, but that’s okay! As long as you can make out the important features, it’ll still look great once transferred to the wood.
5. Transfer the Photos to Your Wood
Carefully remove the parchment paper from the printer. Be careful not to touch the ink as it’s just sitting on top of the paper. If you printed two photos on one sheet, then cut the sheet in half. To transfer the photo to the wood, hold the parchment paper over the wood, ink side down. Before you let it touch the wood, line it up where you want it. Then, carefully place the parchment paper down onto the wood. Be careful not to let the parchment paper slide around at all or you will smudge the ink. I found it easiest to firmly press down with one finger in the middle, and smooth out the image to transfer it to the wood with my other hand. You want to press firmly to make sure you transfer as much ink as possible to the wood.
Once your photo is transferred to the wood, lift the parchment paper off the wood. There will still be some wet ink on the parchment paper, so be aware of where you put it. Allow the ink to dry onto the wood. Once dry, you can touch it and it should not smudge or transfer (it’s just like ink printed on paper). You can spray on a sealant coat if you want to protect the photos, but I didn’t find it necessary for mine.
Repeat for your additional photos.
6. Attach the String to the Wood Photo Art
To attach your jute string to the wood, you can either staple it, glue it, or both. There are a few different ways you could do this, but I suggest gluing it on with E6000 or another strong glue. You could also staple the string to the back of the wood, or do both! You’ll want to attach it toward the top of the wood slice so they hang flat. My wood slices were actually from old candle tops. They had a groove from where the silicone seal sat, so I seated my string in the groove and tied it to my wood.
Before cutting the string length, determine how you want to layout your wood photos. Since I made this for our fifth anniversary present, I wanted to have 5 photos, one from each year of our marriage. To arrange them, I wanted each hanging in a staggered format. I strung them out and left plenty of extra string so I could cut it to size once I figured out my ideal layout. I then tied all five strings together at the top to create a loop.
If I were to do this again, I would tie each string individually to create a loop at the top. It was a bit of a game to not have the wood spinning and hitting each other with all five attached. Having each piece separate would make it easier to hang and arrange them individually. You can either cut off the excess string at the top or tie it into a bow, up to you!
7. Hang Your DIY Wood Photo Art
Find a place to hang your new DIY Wood Photo Art to enjoy! I hung mine on a simple gold nail in the wall. I temporarily had it hanging in our entry to surprise my husband on our anniversary, but I’m planning to display it in our bedroom once it’s done. You could also use this same process to make a DIY Christmas ornament!
One Room Challenge Primary Bedroom Update:
As far as this room makeover goes, I’m behind to say the least! Given that this is the ONLY thing actually fully complete at this point, I’ve already moved a few things to my “do after ORC reveal date”. Which, of course, is frustrating since the point of this challenge is to complete a room. But, there’s been so many unforeseen life things happening (plus my fair share of DIY’s not going to plan). With everything going on, I realized I needed to give myself a break and not push it just for a deadline that really won’t affect anyone else but me.
Planning to complete in the next 2 weeks:
- Finish Closet/Slat Wall
- Finish Dresser
- Refinish Nightstands
- DIY Painting + Décor
If I have time or after ORC reveal:
- DIY Headboard
- Headboard Wall
- Ceiling Beams
- Paint Trim
- Sew Curtains
Obviously I have few big items that I most likely won’t complete before the reveal, and that’s just how it needs to be this time around. As a perfectionist, this kills me, but I’m learning to accept it and I’ll still fully finish the room, but after Thanksgiving and everything slows down a bit.
Make sure you check out the other room transformations taking place on the One Room Challenge Blog!
