I really miss my printmaking college days, so when the book Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects by Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop came out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Luckily, Potter Craft (an imprint of Crown Publishing, which is a division of Random House) offered to send me a copy to review. As soon as it arrived I started planning out which project to try first, and one of my absolute favorites in the book is the one above (image via poppytalk).
My project (above) was inspired by various textiles we have lying around the house. Potter Craft has generously allowed me to share the DIY step-by-step in this post!
MATERIALS:
Template or your own labels
Clear packing tape
Bone folder (optional)
Bowl of lukewarm water
Clean glass jars
Cloth and 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol (optional)
Clean rag
Mod Podge Gloss
1″ (2.5cm) flat brush
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Print your labels—in color or black and white—on a laser printer or just photocopy the template. Do not use inkjet print.
2. Cut a piece of tape and lay it over the printed design paper. Burnish with bone folder or fingernail.
3. Cut the paper along the tape’s edges and submerge the tape in the bowl of water for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the tape from the water bath and turn it paper side up. With your finger, gently rub away the paper so that only the ink remains on the tape. If you are making a long strip, start at the top and roll the paper down and off the strip of tape.
5. Cut the tape transfer onto the label size you want and adhere to the outside of a jar (I recommend spending and extra minute and cleaning your jar first with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol). Beginning at the center, smooth the label out with your finger to remove any air bubbles.
6. With the rag, wipe away any excess water and paint an even layer of Mod Podge over the label and its edges. The gloss medium will disappear when it is dry, so no worries.
Troubleshooting: If the paper isn’t rubbing off easily, try soaking it longer.
If the inked portions of the image rub off, repeat the process with a longer soaking time and rub more gently.
With my project, I found that a bolder design worked best (the design on the short, round bottle was a little too minimalist for this project!). I also soaked my paper longer and even rubbed the paper off while it was submerged in the water. The labels were still a little sticky after being rinsed/rubbed, so don’t stack them!
This tutorial has been re-printed here with the permission of Potter Craft. Thank you!
For many more easy, at-home printmaking projects, you can purchase Print Workshop right here.
