Bubble bubble, toil and -- uh oh, trouble. A little flour dust doesn't do any harm, but once you start heating oil and stirring sauces, your fab clothing needs protection! Gather the right ingredients to personalize a plain apron with a unique design. And if you know a passionate baker or cook, whip one up for him or her as a gift.

You need:
• Plain canvas apron (available at craft supply stores or sew your own)
• Image or photograph
• T-shirt transfer paper
• Colour printer
• Iron with no-steam option
• Embellishments (optional)

To make:
Step 1: Decide on an image
Giving your apron as a gift? Think of the recipient's interests when choosing an image. Clip out shapes from a photograph or take pictures of your kitchen utensils, like a pie lifter or whisk. Surf a clip art site, such as Microsoft Office Online, for further inspiration. We decided upon pretty cherry blossom clip art and coloured it to suit our tastes.

Step 2: Import your pattern
• Open an 8-1/2- by 11-inch canvas in your photo-editing program (to correspond to the size of the transfer paper). Choose the landscape or portrait setting depending on the height and width of your image.
• Insert your picture into the document and place it accordingly.
• Make any enhancements, such as changing the colours, adjusting the size or shifting the angle.
• If you'd like your image to appear bigger than your canvas when applied to the apron, you can always print it on two sheets and then piece it together when it's time to iron.

Step 3: Print your picture
• If your image is to appear on the apron as it appears onscreen, make sure to flip it horizontally in your photo-editing program before printing.
• Always test-print first at the best-quality setting to make sure the colour and saturation are accurate.
• When you're ready, place the specialty paper in your printer as per the package's instructions and print at the best-quality setting.
• Allow the ink to dry before ironing it to the apron.

Step 4: Transfer your image
• Place your apron on a hard, flat surface.
• Trim around your image, if necessary, and place it face down on the apron. We placed a large image in the bottom left-hand corner and repeated a small part of our design on the bib area.
• Using the highest cotton setting and the no-steam option, iron with firm pressure from side to side and then up and down according to the package directions.
• When the paper is cool to the touch, carefully peel away the backing.

Step 5: Present your apron as a gift
• Add embellishments, like beads or ribbon, for a personalized touch.
• Print a few Canadian Living recipes on recipe cards to present with your apron.

Page 1 of 1