DIY Modifiable Canvas: Why settle for just one design?

Greetings! I am Brenda from Schooling a Monkey where I blog about crafts, DIY projects, kid’s activities, and homeschooling! I am excited to sub in for Jenn while she is having fun elsewhere. Today, I am showing you how to create an overlay for an existing painting so you can change the design without covering the original design.

I have a large piece of 3D canvas print art that is covered in a painting of irises. It was purchased for us when my husband and I got married almost 10 years ago. It has always been something that I like, but never something that I loved. I’ve always meant to come up with something to cover the design that is fresh and matches our existing color scheme, but never got around to it until this week.

DIY Modifiable Canvas

Supplies

Here is what you will need if you want to recreate this project:

• Cardstock paper
• Acrylic paint
• Craft
• Buttons
• Paintbrushes in various sizes
• Sticky tack

Step 1: Make the Background

Measure the base painting to determine how big to make the paper cover. I used 12 pieces of cardstock paper for mine. I just used scotch tape to hold the pieces together. Next, I laid the original art over the paper and traced the outline, then cut out the rectangle.

Step 2: Paint the Base

I wanted a dream-like feeling for my painting, so after a little research using good old Google images, I decided to make an ombre background. I used one color of blue (blue is our main accent color) and simply added white paint in higher and higher concentrations to make the different color gradients.

Step 3: Design

I have wanted to create a button tree for years, so I didn’t have to hunt much to find the perfect inspiration for the project. I used Google images again to look for “swirled trees” to find one that matched the dream-like effect I wanted. After printing the inspiration picture, I used it as a guide and drew the design onto the paint with a pencil.

Step 4: Paint

Paint the base design over the background. My daughter, Monkey, helped me paint ours. We painted the tree with two coats of brown. Next, we added a bit of dimension with a mixture of green and brown paint, then a little more accent with grey paint. Allow the paint to dry before moving to the next step.

Step 5: Embellish

We glued different colors of white, blue, and green buttons on the end of each tree branch. If you want a little more detail, you could add glitter, ribbons, or anything else to the design to make it pop more.

Step 6: Hang

Use sticky tack to attach the painting over the existing canvas. For a rough surface, you will probably have to use more sticky tack in more locations than if you are sticking it over a smooth surface. If you measured correctly in the first step, then it will fit perfectly.
You now have a painting where you can switch out designs whenever you get bored! Perfect for decorating ADDers (I’m pretty sure this is a thing) like me.

 

Bio: Brenda has loved crafting and DIY projects since before it was cool. She loves creating craft projects using on-hand supplies and simple materials. Follow Brenda at Schooling a Monkey for more fun projects for kids and adults! | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram