How To Easily Transfer Images Onto Furniture & Decor
, by Amy Howard,
5 min reading time
Ever wish you could transfer beautiful prints or script onto your surfaces?
With Amy Howard at Home’s Copycat solution, you can! Simply use inkjet printers and regular printer paper to find the prints and images you want to transfer to nearly any surface.
Do you ever wish you could transfer beautiful prints or script onto your surfaces? With Amy Howard at Home’s Copycat solution, you can! Simply use inkjet printers and regular printer paper to find the prints and images you want to transfer to nearly any surface.
To help you make your own designs with Copycat, Amy Howard has created a Copycat Bundle — and she’s also walking you through how to use it on this week’s episode of Finish Friday on Facebook. The Amy Howard at Home Copycat Bundle comes with:
To work with Copycat, you’ll also need a small bowl of warm water and a soft, lint-free rag.
Preparing to Use Copycat
On this week’s Finish Friday episode, Amy explains all the different ways you can use Copycat solution: on clay pots, furniture, wood, picture frames, canvas, and more. But it’s not for every surface; don’t put it on outdoor surfaces, glass, or fabrics. It’s mostly for hard, interior surfaces, as Amy explains in the video. She also emphasizes the importance of cleaning your surfaces before you paint and apply your Copycat, so you can get a clean transfer. That’s why Clean Slate is included in the bundle!
Color inkjet printer ink and regular printer paper are the best options for your Copycat projects. You may need to paint your surface first, and our One Step Paint is perfect for this! Amy also reminds us that you’ll need to print fonts, quotes, and photos in reverse. This ensures they get applied properly and you don’t have backward words or images! You can print in reverse on your home printer (here’s a very simple reverse printing tutorial) or you can visit places like Kinkos or local printers to have them do it for you.
Using Copycat on Your Chosen Surface
Now that you’ve printed your images or pattern, it’s time to get copycatting! In the video, Amy will show you the right way to apply Copycat to your surfaces for the best transfer. Remember that you have to paint the surface where you’re applying the image and your entire image. From there, it’s a matter of being patient. Many people will forget this: your Copycat surfaces has to dry a minimum of two hours. If it doesn’t try at least that long, Amy explains that your prints will not transfer and your project will be ruined. Once it’s dried for at least 2 hours, you can use a warm wet rag to saturate the paper for 30-45 seconds. Saturate it all the way before you start to scrub. Once the paper is wet, rub in a gentle circular motion. Keep your rag wet and continue to rub until all of the paper comes up. Watch the video to follow along with Amy if you’re unsure.
Once you have all the paper removed, it’s time to let your piece dry fully. Once it’s dry, you can use a dry, clean chip brush to brush on the Light Wax. This will buff and shine your surface, as well as seal it. Then, let it fully dry before adding Dark Wax to the edges if you want a more aged look on your transfer surface. To see how to properly apply the wax, make sure to watch the video and — as Amy always says — make sure to offload the excess!
This week’s Finish Friday video is not to be missed if you want to save money, get the prints and patterns you really want, and learn how to make the most out of your rescued and restored pieces. Amy also shares her top-secret website for finding images and scripts to print, so tune in to the video!
Amy will be back again next Friday for another installment of Finish Friday, which is available every Friday at 12 noon Central time on our Facebook page. You’ll also get first dibs on our great deals and bundles, so check it out. Follow and “Like” us to get notified when we go live — and don’t forget to sign up for our giveaways. The winner of a new giveaway is announced each week, so make sure to register.
