Pencil Transfer Method

Have you have done an easy pencil transfer for a graphic or simple image? I used a thrift store stool and an French Image from The Graphics Fairy to do a fun makeover project.

Small wooden stools are perfect for those of us who may be just a little to short to reach that top shelf! This little guy was only $3.99. I love the great bones, I thought it had real potential to do an easy pencil transfer.

Graphics Fairy Image

I got this great image from The Graphics Fairy. So easy, print it out and you're ready to go. No special tools, or paper.

Pencil Transfer

I rubbed the back of the paper a LOT with a pencil. North/South, East/West, and every which way in between.

Secure Transfer to Project

I taped it to the stool with some ScotchBlue Painter’s tape. Yep, I hinged it. I do this with a lot of stuff, including my vinyl. So if ever I mention “hinge” you know what I mean. By using this particular method, you can easily lift the paper to check your image without worrying about placement.

Check Image Progress

I used a ball point pen to trace over the image, which in turn transferred the image onto the stool. It works really well. As I said above, with the hinge in place, I was able to lift the paper to make sure it was transferring well enough. I should have done this method with the Vintage Ironing Board.

Embellish with Marker & Paint Pen

Here's the best part, I then used a paint pen and a sharpie to trace and color in the transferred image. It seriously doesn't get any easier than this pencil transfer method!

I really love, love, love how it turned out.

Paint and Stain

I wanted to paint the legs, since they had never been painted. (they were still in their natural wood state). But I knew I wanted to stain the stool, so I used the painter's tape to keep the paint off the stool.

I painted the legs with Martha Stewart Heavy Cream.

The painter's tape removed easily, leaving great coverage on the leg, but no oops on the stool! Of course, you can "cut in" and skip this step if you want to.

Now it’s time to stain the top. Mess it up. I love dark walnut, but it really was not the right option for this project. (hindsight 20/20-I think the real problem was NOT the stain, but the fact that I sanded too much of the paint off before adding the stain.)  You can scroll up to see the difference in the color of the paint.

So, if I ever do this again, I will do the pencil transfer, but . . . a) not sand the top b) use a clearcoat or a lighter stain.

Pencil Transfer Image Process on Small Stool

The image sort of gets lost. Not all projects turn how the way we envision, do they? It’s still a great little stool, I think I may keep it in the kitchen under my kitchen island so I can reach things up high.