Are you looking to upgrade a store bought canvas? This step-by-step tutorial shows you exactly how to transform your canvas art from boring to brilliant!
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Have you ever came across something and thought “Ohh, that is soo close to what I am looking for. If only it had (insert desire here).”?
I have! In fact, that is exactly what happened when I came across this…
The colors are perfect! It fits the budget! It will work in a gender neutral nursery! If only it was a bit bigger and made more of a statement… were all things that crossed my mind when I passed by this piece in HomeSense.
And then, as I was walking away from this piece, lyrics popped into my head.
“How wonderful life is now you’re in the world.”
And just like that, I was sold! I snatched that piece of art up as fast as I could. I knew exactly how I was going to turn this piece into the exact piece I was looking for.
I am so excited to share how I took this store bought canvas from boring to brilliant! Are you ready? I hope this tutorial will inspire you to create one-of-a-kind decor pieces for your home!
Let’s get to it!
DIY ONE-OF-A-KIND CANVAS ART TUTORIAL
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- Store Bought Canvas
- Lumber
- Nail Gun & Nails
- Wood Stain
- Rags (for staining & clear coat)
- Polyurethane
- Stencil
- Paint
- Paint Brush
- Hanging Hardware
STEPS:
Step 1. Decide on your overall size, that is what size you what the finished piece to be. For reference, my store bought canvas is 3 feet x 2 feet and the overall finished piece is 3.5 feet x 3 feet.
Step 2. Cut the boards to size. I used an assortment of boards, including 1″ x 2″, 1″ x 4″, 1″ x 6″.
Step 3. Stain the boards. I used this stain, to tie into the wood stain on the crib & the dresser.
Step 4. Poly the boards.
Step 5. Attach the boards together by nailing two pieces across the back of the wood. I used 2 – 1″ x 3″ x 3″ boards. I arranged the boards on my Mastercraft sawhorses – just as I wanted the finished piece to look. I tinkered with the placement of the boards until I was satisfied with the overall look, then I flipped and reversed the boards so the entire piece was upside down (the back of of the boards were facing up). This allowed me to easily nail two pieces of wood across the back.
Step 6. Attach the canvas. I recruited my husband to help me with this step. I held the canvas in place, while he nailed from underneath. This is not the safest way to do it, but the only way we could think of attaching the canvas without putting nail holes through the front of the canvas. The good thing is the canvas is quite light, so you do not need many nails.
Step 7. Create or purchase a stencil. I created mine using my Cricut.
Step 8. Attach the stencil and apply paint. I started out with a small amount of paint and slowly dabbed it onto the stencil to avoid the paint from bleeding underneath the stencil. This process takes a couple of coats, but is totally worth it to get a crisp edge!
Step 9. Attach hardware and hang on wall. Since our finished piece is quite heavy, we used this hardware. I totally recommend it!
There you have it! With a little work, you can transform your store bought canvas art into a one-of-a-kind statement piece. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
If you made your own DIY one-of-a-kind canvas art, I would love, love, love to see it! Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can admire your work.
If you’re interested in tackling this project in the future, be sure to pin it!
