Upcycled Life: Custom jars and bottles

Transform used jars and bottles with custom art transfers. All you need is packing tape and an image. Experiment with magazine pages and pictures printed or copied on a laser printer (ink jet does not work).

Place a piece of packing tape, sticky side down, on the image you wish to transfer.

Soak the paper in a shallow dish or tub of warm water. When the paper has fully absorbed the water and can be easily rubbed off with your thumb, it’s ready to come out. This could be a few minutes to a half hour. Shiny papers will take longer.

Gently use your thumb to rub the paper off the tape. The image will remain in the adhesive while all or most of the paper will rub off. Anywhere there is not ink, and the paper is white, the tape will be translucent.

Let the tape air dry. Trim as desired. Apply to a glass or plastic jar. If not enough adhesive remains to fully adhere, use a thin layer of Mod Podge to glue down the transfer.

These image transfers can be applied to paper and other surfaces, as well.

Katie Patterson Larson is the director and founder of Art Salvage, a creative reuse center in Spokane. Art Salvage keeps usable materials out of the waste stream and makes them accessible and affordable to everyone. For more information, visit artsalvagespokane.com.