- Hello, everybody. Jennifer Maker here. It is a beautiful day to sublimate onto something new: glass cutting boards. These are so gorgeous, don't you think? I'm going to show you how to sublimate stunning
graphics onto them to achieve this beautiful
stained glass window effect. I've got several different
methods to show you, so you can pick the one
that works best for you. So let's get started. (light music) So you might be thinking, "Jennifer, you can't sublimate on glass." And you're absolutely correct. Sublimation involves heating special ink until it transforms into a gas and infuses itself into a material that's usually made out of
or coated with a polymer. And glass is not a polymer, right? but while you can't sublimate directly onto plain old regular glass, sure, you can add polymers to
the surface of the glass which will make it work. It's awesome. So today I'm going to
show you how to sublimate onto two kinds of glass cutting boards. I'll use some manufactured
for sublimation, which look just like these right here. And they come right with a special coating that you need to sublimate on, so you don't have to do anything special. And then also some plain glass ones that you can get from the dollar store. We'll try several different techniques, and then I'll show you
which one worked the best and which didn't. You may be surprised. I sure was. Now, these stained glass-style
boards are so beautiful. You can display one on a counter, prop it up like I have on my shelf here, or you can hang it in the window
so the sun shines through. But they're not meant to be eaten off or used for food preparation. They're just for display,
so keep that in mind. And speaking of safety,
remember, when you sublimate, you want to open a window and
turn on a fan just to be safe. It's always important. Now that we've got that out
of the way, you should know that this is not your
typical sublimation project, and we're going to be using
some new types of materials. Have you ever heard of sublimating See? I told you this was a
different kind of project. You can get my full and
detailed material list for this project below this video or over at jennifermaker.com/499. So you can create any of the
designs that you see here. And speaking of a design, let me show you how to get
my free stained glass files. Step 1, get or prepare
a sublimation design. If you need some beautiful
sublimation designs go to jennifermaker.com/499, and look for libraries in
the red bar at the top. Then either click get a password, if you don't yet have
one, or enter the library. Search the page for design number 499. When you find it, click it
to download the ZIP file. Inside the PNG folder you'll find four stained
glass-style designs that I created with an AI art generator. Aren't they gorgeous? There are options for
round and square boards. But remember, sublimation doesn't have to fit the item perfectly. There's a tropical
beach, a dazzling sunset, a mountain stream, and an
enchanted forest with roses. Before we prepare the file, measure your cutting board
or sublimation blank, just in case the packaging
isn't telling the truth. Also, check if one side is
smoother than the other, because that's where we're
going to add the design. Then in Google Docs, open the image file that you'd like to use. I'll use the round forest scene. Now, resize your design to about 1/4 of an inch
larger than your blank so it will go all the
way to and over the edge. Step 2, print your sublimation design. You're almost ready to print. Just follow my tutorial over at
jennifermaker.com/sublimationprints. Marrying is really
important in sublimation, but it depends on your
materials and preferences for this project. Check my written tutorial
for all the details at jennifermaker.com/499. No matter which technique you'll use, trim the dried sublimation print so it has about a 1/2-inch border that makes it easier to work with. Step 3, prepare and
sublimate your glass boards. Remember, turn on your fan and open a window for ventilation. (wind whooshing) If you want a transparent look without risk of scorching
the adhesive vinyl, clear laminating sheets can
work on your cutting boards too. And with these, you can view
the design through the glass. So I'll use a non-mirrored design and have the smooth surface on the back. So first, I'll check my
"Sublimation Cookbook" for the settings, which
says to set my EasyPress to 400 degrees Fahrenheit,
or 204 degrees Celsius. Lay the laminate down on your workspace, and then place the cutting board on top. Trace around it and
then cut the shape out. It should be the same size
as your cutting board. Peel the laminate layers and set one aside for
another cutting board. Put white cardstock on your pressing mat, and then clean and dry the cutting board. Lay your cutting board on the cardstock with the surface that
you'll sublimate face up. Place the laminate shiny
side up on the cutting board so it's aligned. Use some heat-resistant tape to secure it, and then lay white butcher paper on top to protect your heat press. Once the press reaches
400 degrees Fahrenheit, or 204 degrees Celsius, press the laminate onto your cutting board with light pressure for 60 seconds. It's enough time and heat to
tack the laminate to the glass, but we'll finish adhering it
during the sublimation process. And allow the cutting
board to cool completely before removing the papers and tape. Replace the white cardstock
in case it got anything on it, and then place your printed
sublimation image face down in the laminated glass. Center it and secure everything
with heat-resistant tape. Lay fresh butcher paper on top, and then press the cutting board at 400 degrees Fahrenheit,
or 204 degrees Celsius, with light pressure
for another 60 seconds. After the timer goes off, place the EasyPress back in its cradle, and allow the cutting
board to cool completely Before removing the papers and tape. look at how beautiful this turned out. Isn't it gorgeous? (chimes ringing) (wind whooshing) For another option, we can
use Clear Dye Sublimatable HTV which works to give a
less shiny, matte look. I tried two brands following the manufacturer's instructions, variations on my "Sublimation
Cookbook" recipes, and some tips from online crafters. I'll show you the results
when we compare everything. And there are more notes
in the written tutorial at jennifermaker.com/499. (chimes ringing) (wind whooshing) If you can't find the
dollar store cutting boards or you want a project with fewer steps, try a sublimation-ready
glass cutting board with a polymer coating. I tested this square from one brand following the manufacturer's instructions. Heat the EasyPress to
385 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer to 190 seconds. Lay a sheet of white cardstock
on your pressing mat. Clean both sides of the tile with rubbing alcohol
and a lint-free cloth. Then place it on top of the cardstock, sublimation coating up. We don't need to press through the glass because these blanks are
designed for sublimation. Just center the mirrored image
face down on the coating. Add heat-resistant tape to
keep the design in place. Then cover everything
with white butcher paper. Press the tile for 190 seconds. There's no need to add pressure. The weight of the press
is more than enough here. When the time is up, place
the press back in its cradle. Remove the butcher paper and
let your tile cool completely. With these steps, my early
tests had some uneven spots. To check if yours do, very
carefully flip the tile over. Look through the glass
for any light spots. If you see them, place the tile back down
in the same position, and then put fresh butcher paper on top. The old piece probably has
ink on it, so don't use that. And then press for 30 seconds more. Once the board is fully sublimated, let it cool completely before removing the tape
and sublimation paper. (chimes ringing) (wind whooshing) Now, let's try another brand of sublimation-coated glass cutting board, in the round shape this time. These come pre-coated, so all we have to do is add our design. The instructions they
provided were different, and I actually had better results
increasing the temperature from their recommendation
of 360 degrees Fahrenheit, or 182 Celsius, to 385 degrees Fahrenheit,
or 196 degrees Celsius. I prepared it the same way
and pressed it for 360 seconds with medium pressure, the
same as the instructions. When the time is up, remove the butcher paper
and let everything cool before you peel up the tape and paper. I really love this round shape, don't you? This is going to be so pretty hanging like a suncatcher in a window. Step 4, show it off. There are a few different
ways to show them off. You can reattach the rubber feet if you want to put it flat on a surface. Or you could add hardware to hang it like a suncatcher in a sunny window. You'll find links to
the hardware that I used below this video or over on my blog at jennifermaker.com/499. I think these cutting boards
turned out so beautifully, and I can't wait to see how one looks in my kitchen or hanging in a window. And wouldn't these make
absolutely amazing gifts? Imagine being gifted a
personalized stained glass window, maybe with a photo of yourself. How special would that be? Again, these are beautiful for display, but they're not meant to be used for food. If you do ever need to clean one, just gently dust or spray it with a glass cleaner and wipe it down. And that's it. Now, I mentioned earlier that I was surprised by the results, and I really was. I used clear dye sublimation,
heat transfer vinyl in lots of fabric and wood
projects with lots of success. I've also seen crafters use
it with glass cutting boards, with great results that
might fade slower in sunlight than the other vinyl options. But I just couldn't get it to work. I tested two brands using the
manufacturer's instructions, my "Sublimation Cookbook" settings, and guidance that I saw
in our Facebook group. The process that crafter
Elaine shared worked the best. So thank you for posting, Elaine. It does take a lot of checking though, so I want to find a
really reliable process before recommending using
sublimation HTV on glass. Now, the glass cutting boards
made just for sublimation, like this one here, are very easy to use, but they can get expensive. If you're making just a few for gifts or need to get something
done fast and well, these are a great option. They're especially nice for photos, like the one that I made of Greg and I on our Hawaii vacation. Isn't that awesome? So many of my early sublimation
projects on hard surfaces used laminating pouches, and
they really do work well. So using them to sublimate on plain glass cutting board works well, especially if you get the pouches on sale and want lots of light shining through. And you can view the texture of the glass, the textured glass that you can see here, or you can use this smooth
surface on the front for different results. Please don't expect a perfect
result on your first try. Learning any new skill
involves experimenting and making more than a few mistakes, so have some extra materials
on hand just in case. And while you're cutting
board sublimating skills may not be gift-quality right away, remember that handmade gifts, even those that are imperfect
will still make someone smile. Now, if you want to learn more
about sublimation in general, be sure to check out my
"Sublimation Cookbook" at sublimationcookbook.com. Not only are the sublimation directions for glass cutting boards in there, but so are over 150 other
sublimation projects, all with the pressing times, temperatures, and pressures among many other things. It's a super helpful guide
that I use all the time myself, because it's hard to
remember all those numbers. Pick up your copy at
sublimationcookbook.com. And if you have any questions about making sublimated
stained glass windows or cutting boards or
anything else craft related that you think I can help
with, please let me know. Leave your question below this video, or ask over at our group at jennifermaker.com/sublimationgroup. And post your pictures too. I want to see all of your beautiful
stained glass creations. And that's it for today. Until next time, this is Jennifer Maker reminding you to craft a life you love. (light music)
