Finished Coloring Pages: Can You Make Packing Tape Image Transfers?

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I’ve been thinking about what you can do with finished coloring pages and ran into a printout I had from an episode of the Carol Duvall show on HGTV about 10 years ago where she and her guest made packing tape image transfers. 

When I saw this idea again after all these years I wondered if it could be done with finished coloring pages (as a way to preserve them). I didn’t know if it would work but I thought it would be a fun and interesting experiment.

It didn’t turn out how I had hoped. ;/

**NOTE: Please read through entire post if you intend to try this craft because there are things you need to know.**

Materials Needed:

• Clear/transparent packing tape (any cheap kind will work as long as it’s clear)
• Small pictures that are the same width as the tape (use as long of a piece of tape as you want, but the longer you make it the harder it will be to place accurately)
• A bone folder,  smooth-sided letter opener, or a spoon
• Scissors
• A container of water (consider the length of your tape when choosing the size)
• Paper towels or other surface to lay transfers on to dry

Instructions:

Choose an attractive area of a page about the same size as the piece of tape you want to use.

I chose several types of pages to experiment with. (My suggestion is to choose something you won’t cry about if you ruin, since it may take a couple tries to get a good transfer.)

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Before we go further, here’s what I tried:

• A grayscale coloring design I created and colored using CraZArt colored pencils. I photocopied it to see how it would work.

• A page I doodle-colored with ultra fine point Sharpies and gel pens. I photocopied this one too. (Photocopy on left, original on right.)

• Two security/business envelopes that I thought had cool designs. Didn’t know how they would work either, but while I was experimenting, why not?

• Images and words from magazine pages.

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Use your bone folder, letter opener or spoon to rub over the surface of the tape, burnishing it down onto the paper. You don’t want any air holes or creases, or it won’t come out right. (In the picture to the right, if you look carefully, you can see where the tape has been placed and burnished.)

Then use your scissors to cut around the tape transfer.

Put one of your transfers in a container of water. You will need to let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes and maybe longer if the paper is thick.

Pull the transfer out of the water and begin to gently rub one of the ends to see if you can start rolling the paper away from the tape. If it seems hard to peel, let it soak longer. If it peels off easily, roll it off all the way. After you get the paper layer off, you will need to gently rub off the rest of the paper residue. Rinse the tape transfer off in clean water and lay on paper towels on a flat surface to dry.

My Results:

None of the finished coloring pages I used worked well – in fact they were a definite fail!

Most of the colored design rubbed off when trying to get the paper residue off  the tape. I tried leaving the paper residue on the tape to keep the design ‘intact’, but when the transfers dried completely, I found them all curled up into stiff ‘chips’ and looking like crud. 🙁

I don’t know if it’s the paper, colored pencils or pens, or if it’s a combo. It may take more experimentation with other coloring mediums but this test sure wasn’t successful.

The envelopes were a toss up. One worked and one didn’t. (Again, not sure why. See curled up blue piece on right compared to the diagonal piece in the image below.)

On the other hand, I had GREAT results with the magazine pages. I knew they would work because I’ve tried them before. 😉 I needed a comparison though. 😀

I’m disappointed that this test failed to preserve my finished coloring pages by making transfers, but the craft itself is fun and easy.

If you’re into art journaling, card making or scrapbooking, cutting out magazine ’embellishments’ and making them into transfers is a great way to add a cool touch you may not see everyday.

I even think it would be pretty to decorate your finished coloring pages with transfers and then re-use them as art journal pages.

What do you think? Have you ever tried this? I’d love to know! I’d also like to know your experiences if you’ve tried it. Tell me in the comments below.

Here’s to more coloring and creating!
Sheri

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