These images are for keeps

Hands-on time: Less than an hour.
Total time: Add drying time for the paint finish. Two to three minutes with an iron to laminate an image to a wood surface.
Skill: Super easy.
Cost estimate: Less than $15 for the materials. They can be used to make several other projects.

Materials & tools

• A wooden step stool, old or new, (any wooden surface of your choice, unpainted wooden items are available at craft retailers)
• Sandpaper and tack cloth
• Acrylic paint and paintbrush
• Varnish
• Images from computer colour printouts or coloured photocopies on high quality paper, illustrations, watercolours, wall paper, posters, magazine and newspaper images or clippings can also be used (Note: images on glossy, embossed or photo paper are not recommended)
• Wood-X-Pressions, laminate sheets by Bienfang (available at Loomis Art Stores)
• X-acto knife
• Steel ruler
• An iron and a silicone cloth

Capture picturesque nature scenes to make lasting impressions to add to your décor by laminating gorgeous images to the surface of wooden decorative items and furniture. Laminating images and artwork is a minimalist treatment that allows you to create eye-catching decorative accessories in just minutes. Decorating assorted wooden items from step stools and boxes to serving trays is as blissfully simple as picking an image and ironing it on.

I used an old step stool that had a weathered finish and I liked it exactly as it was, especially its apple green colour. Therefore all I did was clean it thoroughly. I also made use of a plain recipe box, which I painted silver; I will now use it as a business card file box.

Sand a wooden item to prepare the surface, and wipe with a tack cloth. Paint the wooden item in a colour and finish style of your liking, let dry and varnish. Wait a few days before applying the laminate.

Gather and select images to laminate on to your wooden item. Use images of a specific theme, scan, download or use digital images, enlarge or reduce as needed. Illustrations, watercolours and poster images also create great results.

Use an X-acto knife and a steel ruler on a cutting mat for precision cutting and trimming of your images. Trim around the outline of the images or leave a small border. The idea is to assemble your images into a sandwich format with the laminate sheet, which is identified with red Xs on the back liner. Peel off the liner and set it aside for now.

Place the sticky side up of the laminate onto a clean flat work area. Place the image face down directly on the sticky surface and rub lightly to smooth into place. Place the adhesive sheet on top of the image. You now have an image sandwich.

Flip the image sandwich over. The image is now facing right-side-up. Smooth out the surface to remove any bubbles.

Pre-heat the iron on the highest setting, but do not use steam. To prevent the image sandwich from moving during the trimming step, position it face-up, place the liner sheet - the one with the red Xs - over one corner. Press the corner with the tip of the iron for five seconds; this will tack the sandwich together. Trim the excess laminate and adhesive to the size of the image. Position the image sandwich in place on the surface of the wooden item. Cover another corner with the liner paper and again press the tip of the iron for five seconds to tack it to the wood surface. It will keep the image in position during the ironing step.

Cover the image with a silicon cloth and iron using even pressure in a steady and circular motion. Iron for two to three minutes, especially around the edges. Check to see whether the laminate is sticking. If needed, replace cloth and continue for another minute.

Once the laminate step is complete, let the newly decorated item cool completely.

Decorate your item further, if desired, with rubber stamps, stencils or hand-painted designs of your choice.

Variations

Coat racks, picture frame borders, kitchen stools and assorted boxes like recipe boxes, jewelry, and tea boxes, plus so many other furniture items can be adorned with laminated keepsake pictures.

Laminating images can make use of all kinds of fun accessories found in a child's room in order to brighten it up with a given theme, like teddy bears, butterflies, sports or fun geometrics. It's also a great way to preserve awards, newspaper clippings and all sorts of treasured images - like your child's artwork. Simply apply them all around their toy box or to such furniture items as a night table, bureau, peg rack, wooden chairs, even a growing chart.

This is also a great way to preserve awards, newspaper clippings and all sorts of treasured images.