How To Create the Perfect Gift for Mum
How do you transfer a photo onto a wooden tray as a gift?
If you are stuck for a gift idea this Mother's Day, here is one that is easy to make, personalised and straight from the heart: a favourite photo transferred onto a wooden serving tray or chopping board, so the image sits in the grain rather than on a sheet of paper stuck to it.
The technique is a glue transfer. You print the image, glue it face down onto the timber, let it dry, then rub the paper away with wet fingers — the ink stays behind in the glue film, bonded to the wood. The one thing that decides whether it works is the printer. It has to be an inkjet, because the transfer depends on the ink being water-soluble enough to release from the paper while staying keyed into the glue.
What you will need
- Selleys Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue
- A wooden chopping board or serving tray
- Your image printed onto paper with an inkjet printer
- A bowl of water
- A brush or spreader
How to make it
- Apply Selleys Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue to your wooden serving tray.
- Apply the image, image side down, and smooth out any air bubbles.
- Wait until it is dry to touch — ideally a few hours.
- With wet fingers, gently rub away the paper. You will start to see the image imprinted on the tray.
- Apply a thin layer of Selleys Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue over the top and leave to dry. This helps to seal the image.
Getting a clean transfer
Print it mirrored if it has writing in it
The image goes down face first, so it ends up reversed on the timber. That does not matter for most photos, but any text, dates or names will come out backwards unless you flip the image horizontally before printing.
Smoothing out the bubbles is the critical step
Every air bubble is a spot where the ink has nothing to transfer into, and it shows up as a blank patch in the finished image. Work from the centre outwards, pressing air towards the edges. Do this thoroughly — once the glue is dry, a bubble is permanent.
"Dry to touch, ideally a few hours" — and why not overnight
You want the glue set enough that the transfer holds, but the paper still able to be rubbed away. A few hours is the window. Leaving it for days makes the paper harder to remove and the rubbing more aggressive, which risks taking the image with it.
Rubbing back the paper
Wet your fingers rather than soaking the whole board — you want the paper fibres damp and softened, not the glue layer flooded. Rub gently in small circles and expect to go over the surface several times, letting the paper roll off in little pills. The image will look hazy at first because a thin layer of paper fibre remains; keep going gently and it clears. Stop if you see the ink starting to lift, let it dry, and come back to it.
The sealing coat
A thin final layer of Aquadhere Interior over the finished image seals it. PVA of this kind dries clear. Keep the coat thin and even — a thick one dries cloudy and can leave brush marks across the picture.
Care instructions — and why they matter
These two come straight from the project and both are important:
- Do not allow food to be in direct contact with the tray.
- Clean by wiping over with a damp cloth rather than submerging it in water.
The reason behind both is the glue. Selleys Aquadhere Interior is a PVA wood adhesive intended for interior use, and it is not waterproof. Submerging the tray, running it under a tap or putting it in a dishwasher will soften the glue film, cloud the image and eventually lift it. It is also not specified for food contact, which is why the finished piece is a decorative or serving-under-a-plate tray rather than a working chopping board.
Aquadhere Interior is also not suitable for structural use. Here it is doing a decorative job, which is well within what it can do — but it is worth knowing where the product's limits sit.
If you want a board that will genuinely be cut on and washed, make that separately: see how to create a chopping board.
Choosing the board and the image
A smooth, light, close-grained timber gives the clearest transfer. Open-grained timber like oak leaves the ink sitting in the ridges and missing from the valleys, which can look good deliberately but is unpredictable. Sand the surface smooth and dust it off before you start — anything on the timber ends up under the image.
High-contrast images transfer better than subtle ones. A thin layer of paper fibre always remains, so the finished result is softer and lighter than the print; a picture that is already pale will come out very faint indeed.
Test on the back of the board or an offcut first if you only have one shot at the image. It costs one print and a couple of hours.
Other Aquadhere grades, and when you would use them instead
| Product | Suited to |
|---|---|
| Aquadhere Interior | Interior craft and small fix-it jobs. Not waterproof, not structural. |
| Aquadhere Exterior | Joinery, cabinet and furniture making, outdoor timber projects. Clamp 30 minutes for softwoods, 1 hour for hardwoods, then 24 hours unstressed. Exterior non-structural use; not for continuous submersion. |
| Aquadhere Durabond | Durable woodworking bonds. Around 4 hours clamp time, full cure up to 24 hours depending on humidity and material porosity. |
| Aquadhere Quick Set | Fast-acting adhesive for small repairs and projects. |
Figures are from the products' technical data sheets and are indicative results rather than a basis for preparing specifications.
Safety: the craft glue is clean, the table beside it is not
The glue this project uses is the mildest in the range. Selleys Aquadhere Interior is not classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia GHS 7: no signal word, no hazard statements, and a composition given entirely as ingredients determined to be non-hazardous or below reporting limits. Its safety sheet adds one label statement outside the classification — it contains isothiazolinone preservatives, and repeated contact may cause sensitisation. For a project done with a brush and a bowl of water, that is a reason to wash your hands rather than to wear anything.
That matters because of what this project is: something made at a kitchen table, quite possibly with children helping, with a lot of hand contact while you rub the paper back.
The comparison table above puts three other Aquadhere grades in front of you, and they are not interchangeable on hazard. Aquadhere Exterior is also not classified as hazardous. Aquadhere Quick Set carries Warning — H317, may cause an allergic skin reaction, and its sheet states specifically that it is not irritating to eyes.
Aquadhere Durabond is the outlier. It is classified Danger and carries H334 (may cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled — respiratory sensitisation, Category 1A), H351 (suspected of causing cancer), H373 (may cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure), plus H332, H335, H317, H315 and H319.
The practical point is a substitution one. If the tube in the cupboard says Durabond and you were about to use it because glue is glue, do not — not for this. H334 respiratory sensitisation is generally permanent once acquired, after which a far smaller exposure triggers the reaction, and this is a project involving a lot of spreading, a lot of drying time indoors and, often, a child at the same table. Durabond is a woodworking adhesive for structural-looking joinery work, used with ventilation, gloves and eye protection by an adult. Aquadhere Interior is the right product here on performance and it is also the one with nothing on it.
One thing the project does not change: this is a decorative tray. Aquadhere Interior is not a food-contact coating, and the care instructions above — no soaking, no dishwasher — are what keep the sealed surface intact.
Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand.
Common questions about the photo transfer gift
What glue do I use for a photo transfer onto wood?
Selleys Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue — used both as the transfer medium and as the final sealing coat.
Does it have to be an inkjet print?
Yes. The project specifies an image printed with an inkjet printer.
Do I need to reverse the image first?
If it contains any text, yes — the image is applied face down, so it ends up mirrored on the timber.
How long do I wait before rubbing the paper off?
Until it is dry to touch, ideally a few hours.
The image is coming off with the paper — what went wrong?
Usually rubbing too hard, or too soon. Use wet fingers and gentle circles, let it dry if the ink starts lifting, and come back to it.
Why does my transfer look hazy?
A thin layer of paper fibre is still on the surface. Keep rubbing gently with wet fingers and it will clear.
Can I put food on the tray?
No. Do not allow food to be in direct contact with the tray.
How do I clean it?
Wipe over with a damp cloth. Do not submerge it in water — the glue is not waterproof.
Can it go in the dishwasher?
No. Heat and prolonged water will soften the glue film and lift the image.
Will it fade?
Inkjet ink is not UV stable, so keep the finished piece out of direct sunlight if you want the image to last.
Can I use this on something that lives outside?
No — Aquadhere Interior is an interior, non-waterproof product.
What else can I make with this glue?
See how to decoupage, DIY sun catcher and 5 tips to repairing sentimental items.
What glue do I use for a photo transfer onto wood?
Selleys Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue — used both as the transfer medium and as the final sealing coat.
Does it have to be an inkjet print?
Yes. The project specifies an image printed with an inkjet printer.
Do I need to reverse the image first?
If it contains any text, yes — the image is applied face down, so it ends up mirrored on the timber.
How long do I wait before rubbing the paper off?
Until it is dry to touch, ideally a few hours.
The image is coming off with the paper — what went wrong?
Usually rubbing too hard, or too soon. Use wet fingers and gentle circles, let it dry if the ink starts lifting, and come back to it.
Why does my transfer look hazy?
A thin layer of paper fibre is still on the surface. Keep rubbing gently with wet fingers and it will clear.
Can I put food on the tray?
No. Do not allow food to be in direct contact with the tray.
How do I clean it?
Wipe over with a damp cloth. Do not submerge it in water — the glue is not waterproof.
Can it go in the dishwasher?
No. Heat and prolonged water will soften the glue film and lift the image.
Will it fade?
Inkjet ink is not UV stable, so keep the finished piece out of direct sunlight if you want the image to last.
Can I use this on something that lives outside?
No — Aquadhere Interior is an interior, non-waterproof product.
What else can I make with this glue?
See how to decoupage , DIY sun catcher and 5 tips to repairing sentimental items .