how to transfer image with contact paper

After I posted my vintage French wine tray,

I received a few emails with questions about this technique,

so I thought a tutorial would be the way to explain it all.

I used a roll of contact paper, simple off-white from Home Depot (cheap, and plain).

I cut a piece the size of a sheet of paper 8.5 X 11, making sure there are no wrinkles.

I taped on all sides to a piece of card-stock, regular paper is not sturdy enough.

I printed from a laser printer the image reversed.

I removed the tape and card-stock, but left the backing that came with the vinyl contact paper.

I positioned the image where I wanted it and taped it onto the wood to avoid any shifting.

With a hot iron, I pressed it on the wood.

Because the base of the tray was uneven, it was hard to iron flat.

So I used a mini-iron : the clover II mini iron, with it I was able to press hard and 

precisely over the detailed image.

With this example, a regular iron worked well, it goes faster as the surface is much larger!

I lifted the paper as I was ironed it to check the transfer, just like I do for a rub-on image.

In a couple places, the contact paper got too hot where I had no ink and slightly melted, but I was able to remove it by scratching gently the surface.

If for some reasons, the transfer is not perfect, the wood can be sanded and reused.

I used another image from the Graphics Fairy for this example.

The original inspiration for this technique comes from the steampunk workshop,

it is used on metal, Mon Cheri tried it many times on metal with success,

so it was from his suggestion that I tried it on wood,

thank you Mon Cheri!

(he insisted on being cited!)

Now what am I going to do with this piece of wood?

Happy day!