52 Weeks of Pinspiration {Week 31}–DIY Photo Canvas

Welcome to week 31 of my Pinspiration series!

DIY photo canvases seem to be all the rage these days on Pinterest.  I’ve seen several different styles come through on my Pinterest feed, but this tissue paper technique looked really intriguing.

It basically involves printing onto tissue paper and then Mod-Podging it to a canvas.  I gave it a try and while I was pretty pleased with how it turned out (this gal shares some really helpful hints), it was a total pain in the ass printing onto the tissue (at least with my Epson printer).

I then ran across the pin for this technique from howdoesshe.com.

I read through the tutorial for wrapping actual photos prints onto canvases and it was pretty straightforward.  The only thing is, I really liked how the tissue version allowed the texture of the canvas to come through.  Made it look like it was actually a printed canvas.

I thought and thought about how I might be able to get the best of both worlds – easy printing with a canvas feel.   Then I had an idea to print on regular printer paper!  And it turned out really cute!

Obviously by the dust on my table, you can tell I have my priorities well in order. 😉

Here’s how I did it.

First I started with some basic supplies – matte Mod-Podge, wide brush, canvas.  I got the super cheap ones from Michael’s for this project.

For this project I used a 5×7 canvas.  I wanted my photo to wrap around the sides of the canvas so I printed my image out at 6.25×8.25.

Quick note-if you’re planning to include text on your image be sure that you place it on image such that the text doesn’t wrap around the side as well.  Unless you want it that way of course.  Which I didn’t, so I had to go back and reprint.

Anyway, once I got my photo printed I let it dry completely.  Then I trimmed it to size.  Next I laid my photo face down and centered the canvas on the back.  I gently folded the edges up around the sides of the canvas just to make sure there was plenty of room on each side.

I started attaching the photo along the short side by applying a thin coat of Mod-Podge.

And then I painted on Mod-Podge in sections, gently pressing (not rubbing) the photo onto the canvas.

Here is what it looked like after I finished the front of the canvas.  You can see there are some small air bubbles, but they eventually dried flat.  And it’s really important not to rub too hard because, as the paper starts to get damp from the Mod-Podge, it will start to to peel a bit.

Once I finished the front then I applied MP to the rest of the sides.  On the corners I pressed the ends into a little triangle then glued them down to the long side.

Once that was done I let the whole thing dry completely (probably an hour or so).

The last step was to apply a generous, even coat of MP over the entire surface (including the sides)

And then voila!

It doesn’t have quite the same canvas texture as the tissue version, but it’s so much faster and easier not having to mess with the tissue paper.  And although I am somewhat limited to the size of canvas I can make because of my printer, I’m wondering now if I could have larger paper prints done at Office Max.

Hmmmm.  Maybe another project for another day.

Peace, Kelly

P.S. This project was so much fun.  If you’d like to to try it, here is the full-size, high-resolution copy of my butterfly photo.

Love, Kelly