DIY Wooden Tea Trivet and GraphicStock Giveaway

When I’m about to tackle a DIY home decor project, I find that a great image can make a huge impact in inspiring my design. That is exactly how this post came about! I was offered the opportunity to explore GraphicStock, which is a fabulous subscription-based image website. GraphicStock has a ton of graphics and images – over 250,000 to be exact! Just browsing through the different image options, you will be inspired to get creative and make something fun: maybe an invitation, a sign, a T-shirt decoration, an embellishment, etc. The options are endless! Want a sneak peek at my finished project?

For the membership to GraphicStock (a full year is valued at $588!), all you have to do is sign up for the 7 day free trial & then let me know in the Comments below which graphic you would like to use for your project!

Ok, back to my trivet… here’s how it came together. I had this pack of wooden shims from the home improvement store and knew I wanted to make something cool with them, but really didn’t know what exactly. Upon browsing the vast selection of graphics available for download from GraphicStock, I found a particular image that caught my eye. It was this one!

I do love tea (and own about a million different varieties), and I knew if I transferred this image to the wood, it would make a pretty cool DIY Wooden Tea Trivet. So the first step I tackled was to stain my wooden shims. Instead of using the harsh chemicals in commercial stain products, I simply mixed some soy sauce (for color) and some vinegar (for adhesion) in a small bowl and painted it onto the boards.

See how well my homemade stain looks on the shim! I continued brushing the stain onto all the shims and then let them dry completely in the sun. After they were completely dry, I brought them back inside. See how the stain worked its magic!

Now, I needed to print the image onto a white sheet of paper IN REVERSE. In order to transfer the image to the wood, make sure you reflect the image along a vertical axis. Here is my print out!

I lined up six shims next to each other and then cut out my image so that it fits perfectly on top of the shims! Then I placed the shims on top of the paper and made small marks at each spot between individual shims. This way, I could cut strips of the paper, such that each strip would fit perfectly on each shim.

To actually transfer the image, I simply laid my paper strip over the wooden shim (ink side down), sprayed the paper with some water, and then traced the image with the flat side of a pen. This cause the wet ink to transfer from the paper to the wood. If you use too much water, the ink will bleed. If you don’t use enough, then the ink won’t transfer. It’s all about a happy balance! 🙂

Here is what one shim looked like after transferring the image!

Now this will never look absolutely perfect, but that’s the whole point. It’s a handmade look, and I love that. To attach all the shims together, I simply used two shims to connect all of them on the back.

Pretty simple, right? I also sprayed a bit of polyurethane all over the front to make it a bit more waterproof!
I love my little DIY wooden trivet.

I can place my tea kettle or tea bags or cups on it.

Or I can use it as a cute sign and place it upright in the corner of my Coffee & Tea station in my kitchen!

Ok, are you guys ready to tackle your own DIY projects using a graphic from Graphic Stock?

GraphicStock

You can be browsing through their images in no time! There are two options to get started:
1. You can sign up for a $99 annual membership. This is only available for a limited time, and is normaly a $588 value.
2. Or you can sign up for a FREE 7 day trial account. Just make sure to cancel the membership before the 7 days are over, so you won’t be charged.

Other image sites charge per image download, which, as you can imagine, adds up quickly! GraphicStock is unique, in that once you subscribe to the site, all downloads are free! Of course, all images are 100% royality-free and available for usage for personal or commercial projects. If you own a website or need digital images for your business, then GraphicStock needs to be on your radar!

Giveaway Details

Make sure you enter my giveaway for 1 full year of complimentary access to GraphicStock. This is valued at $588! All you have to do is sign up for the 7 day free trial & then let me know in the Comments below which graphic you would like to use for your project!

UPDATE: The winner of the GraphicStock giveaway has been selected. Congratulations Rachel C!

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