{"title":"How to Make a Wood Slice Ornament With a Photo Transfer","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/woodworking-crafts/how-to-make-a-wood-slice-ornament","category":{"slug":"woodworking-crafts","name":"Woodworking Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Cooking and Craft Chick","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTXrnA3P1JURfpUj6Tv5tNA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUL5fQ0wwUM"},"tldr":"Put your own photo on a wood slice ornament with Mod Podge and a laser print. Nine photo steps and the tips that give a clean transfer.","quickAnswer":"Put your own photo on a wood slice ornament with Mod Podge and a laser print. An easy project: about 40 minutes, plus 25 hours to dry or set. Materials cost about $2 to $5. You need 10 things, including birch wood slice, Mod Podge and jute twine. The 9 steps start with set Out the Wood Slice, a Reversed Laser Print and Mod Podge and coat the Laser Printed Photo Thickly With Mod Podge.","totalDurationSeconds":550,"videoDurationSeconds":550,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":40,"waitMinutes":1500,"totalMinutes":1540,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":2,"max":5},"yield":"1 photo ornament"},"tools":["foam brush","small container","cup of water","drill with a small bit","scissors","tape"],"materials":["birch wood slice","photo printed in reverse on a laser printer","Mod Podge (matte or gloss)","jute twine"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Set Out the Wood Slice, a Reversed Laser Print and Mod Podge","text":"Gather a wood slice, your photo and some Mod Podge. The photo must be printed in reverse on plain copy paper with a laser printer or a photocopier, not an inkjet. Trim the print to fit the slice. Pour a little matte or gloss Mod Podge into a small container. You only need enough to cover the photo, plus a little more for the top coat later."},{"number":2,"title":"Coat the Laser Printed Photo Thickly With Mod Podge","text":"Load a foam brush and paint Mod Podge over the printed side of the photo. Be generous. Keep adding until you can barely see the picture through the white layer. This thick coat is what grabs the toner and carries it onto the wood. A laser print will not bleed. An inkjet print would already be smearing at this point."},{"number":3,"title":"Press the Photo Face Down Onto the Wood Slice Ornament","text":"Pick up the wet print and lay it face down on the wood slice. Center it in one go, because sliding it around thins the Mod Podge underneath. Press it down firmly with your thumbs, working from the middle out to push out any air bubbles. A little Mod Podge squeezing out at the edges is fine. Then leave it alone to dry for a full 24 hours."},{"number":4,"title":"Wet the Paper Back of the Wood Slice Photo Transfer","text":"Once it has dried overnight, set out a small cup of water and a towel. Dip your fingers and rub water over the paper back of the transfer. Keep wetting it until the whole surface is damp and you can start to see the picture through the paper. Do not soak the wood. Wet fingers are enough."},{"number":5,"title":"Rub the Wet Paper Off the Wood Slice in Circles","text":"With the paper damp, rub it in small circles with your fingertip. The top layer of paper rolls up into little balls and the image appears underneath. That means it is working. Wipe the crumbs away as you go. After a decent amount of rubbing, stop. The Mod Podge gets tacky when wet and can tear if you keep going."},{"number":6,"title":"Let the Wood Slice Dry and Rub Off the Last Paper Fuzz","text":"Let the slice dry for 10 to 15 minutes. A white haze shows up where paper is still stuck on top of the image. Wet your fingers again and rub very gently in circles to lift it. Go easy at the edges. A little wear there helps the photo blend into the wood. Dry it once more and repeat until the haze is gone."},{"number":7,"title":"Seal the Wood Slice Photo Ornament With Mod Podge","text":"Brush a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over the whole face of the slice. Go right out to the edge so you do not leave a visible line. This top coat protects the image from scratches and rubbing, and it brings back the color that looked faded when dry. Let it dry completely before you handle it."},{"number":8,"title":"Thread Jute Twine Through the Hole in the Wood Slice","text":"Drill a small hole through the top edge of the slice. Jute twine frays, so wrap the cut end with a small piece of tape to make a stiff tip, like a shoelace. Twist and push the taped end into the hole and through to the other side. Pull a few inches through so you have enough to tie a loop."},{"number":9,"title":"Knot the Hanging Loop on the Wood Slice Photo Ornament","text":"Bring the two ends of the twine together above the slice and tie a firm knot to make a hanging loop. Trim the ends, which also cuts off the tape. Turn the knot so it sits at the back of the ornament. Hang it on the tree, or leave it out all year as a keepsake of someone you love."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-14T15:09:48.443Z","published":"2026-11-14T15:09:48.175Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}