Easy to do FRENCH BISTRO CHAIR with a RE-LOVED FABRIC ELEPHANT
This chair make over was such a pleasure! The previously brown chair got a few broad strokes of natural white chalkpaint (one coat), after which I sanded the edges here and there, and stained some of those edges with a damp teabag for extra 'ageing' (it's fun avoiding professional products I swear).
The lettering is from the Graphics Fairy. (Find it on the Free Graphics page). On the seat I used the reverse lettering technique. (Print the lettering out reversed-----use wood glue to glue it onto the chair --- wait a few hours for it to dry---- then gently rub the top layers of paper off with a damp earbud until mainly the letters are left behind---Rather leave more paper then rub off too much and lose big parts of your letters....!)
For 'Visiter' I used normal decoupage (simply print out the lettering - not in reverse this time-----paint it front and back with white woodglue + a dash of water, to apply it) The edges were torn carefully vs cut with scissors, to avoid hard edges. The cute little elephant used to have an old floral pattern (see right). I gave it two coats to get it very white----and decoupaged the pretty butterfly onto it (also from Graphics Fairy).
A few notes on reverse transferring:
Your prints:
Inkjet ink won't work it is too powdery, it must be laserjet, which most printers are nowadays :)
Reverse transfers: When to paint on the wood glue - The best technique is to give your piece of paper a light coat of wood glue (with a dash of water) and print onto that when it is dry. (ie the order of the layers will be paper, glue, ink) The letters seal better like this and won't rub off easily - but takes a bit more time and hopefully won't jam up your printer :/
The thinners method:
The old method of simply rubbing thinners (in small quantities, or the ink will flood) on the front of an image so that the back of it stays behind on your new surface. For this method you must not have the image in reverse. Also make sure you do this outside it generates FUMES and TOXINS. Not my recommended method, I like to keep it non-toxic! :/
The lettering is from the Graphics Fairy. (Find it on the Free Graphics page). On the seat I used the reverse lettering technique. (Print the lettering out reversed-----use wood glue to glue it onto the chair --- wait a few hours for it to dry---- then gently rub the top layers of paper off with a damp earbud until mainly the letters are left behind---Rather leave more paper then rub off too much and lose big parts of your letters....!)
 |
| The chair is available at the KZNSA Gallery in Glenwood, Durban. (PS: If you wanted to buy it and find that it is sold , please do let me know, I will do another one just for you.) |
PS: 'VISITER' is the French spelling for Visitor :)
 |
| This was the ellie before going to the make over spa! :D |
A few notes on reverse transferring:
Your prints:
Inkjet ink won't work it is too powdery, it must be laserjet, which most printers are nowadays :)
Reverse transfers: When to paint on the wood glue - The best technique is to give your piece of paper a light coat of wood glue (with a dash of water) and print onto that when it is dry. (ie the order of the layers will be paper, glue, ink) The letters seal better like this and won't rub off easily - but takes a bit more time and hopefully won't jam up your printer :/
The thinners method:
The old method of simply rubbing thinners (in small quantities, or the ink will flood) on the front of an image so that the back of it stays behind on your new surface. For this method you must not have the image in reverse. Also make sure you do this outside it generates FUMES and TOXINS. Not my recommended method, I like to keep it non-toxic! :/