DIY Canvas Print - Take 2

See Take 1 to find out what didn't work for me in making my own canvas print. Here is the successful version :)


Supplies:
Canvas (I used 8"x16")
Picture* (same size as your canvas)
Scissors
Matte Mod Podge
Wax Paper
Paint (color of your choice for the border, black is a nice complement to a black and white print - I used the small acrylic bottles found at Hobby Lobby)
Sponge Brush
Small Paint Brush
Spray Sealer Flat Finish (found with the spray paint at home improvement or craft stores)


*Since I was up against a deadline (we were exchanging Christmas gifts at Thanksgiving and it was Sunday night that I finally admitted defeat on take 1 and we were leaving Wednesday morning which means I had to have this ready by Tuesday....), I was in a little bit of a pinch to get a large, decent print made. I usually use Adorama for my printing needs, but there was no time for shipping. I had trouble finding a local place (Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc) that would print in the size I needed (8" x 16") so I again went to the UPS store and had them print it on cardstock. This worked out really well as I didn't want a glossy finish anyway and I was able to increase the contrast on the print after the first time as it printed a little more gray than it looked on my screen.

Trim your picture so it will fit on your canvas without the edges hanging off. Spread a coat of  Mod Podge on the canvas and place the picture on the canvas. Smooth out the bubbles with your hands. You have to work quickly here as the Mod Podge dries quickly on the canvas. Turn the canvas upside down and place some heavy books on it to give it a good bond.
Once it is dry, squirt some paint onto a tray (disposable plates work great for this). Use a dry sponge brush to sponge paint the sides of the canvas.

If you sponge on the sides of the canvas, just the right amount should sponge over onto the edge of your print. This gives it a cool look and covers up any part of the print that might not have been cut straight (if you're like me). Use the small paint brush to get in the corners and in between the print and canvas, if necessary.

Once the paint is dry, cover the whole canvas, sides included, with a coat of Mod Podge. I generally use my finger as a Mod Podge applicator, but you could use a foam brush or something similar if you'd like.

When the Mod Podge has dried for a few minutes, set it upside down on waxed paper and again put heavy books on it. Let dry overnight.
Spray canvas, including sides, with a clear, flat finish sealer/protector spray - two coats. This step is not necessary, but it helps to hide any imperfections in the Mod Podge layer and give the print a smooth finish.


Here's the finished product.

I am delighted at how it turned out!


I wanted a matte finish to the print so I used matte Mod Podge and a flat spray, but you can use the glossy versions if you want a glossy finish.

DIY Canvas Print - Take 1

I've recently seen a few blog posts about making your own canvas print. I love this idea and thought I would give it a try with a picture I took of my new nephew. It would make a great Christmas gift for my sister and brother-in-law.


Here's the step by step on making a canvas print via photo transfer.


Supplies:
Canvas (I used 8"x16")
Picture printed on plain paper (since I was using a large size, I got mine printed at the UPS store - be sure to print it flipped horizontally as the mirror image will appear on the canvas)
Scissors
Gel Medium (I used Liquitex Gloss Heavy Gel found at Hobby Lobby)
Foam Brush
Water Bottle
Newspaper

Cut your picture to fit the canvas. I cut mine a little bit bigger than the canvas so the image would wrap around the sides of the canvas.

Spread a thick layer of the gel medium all over the canvas.

Place the picture upside down on the canvas and smooth it with your fingers. Try to get out all of the bubbles. If you cut the picture a little bigger than the canvas, be sure to cover the sides with gel medium and press the paper against the sides. Let canvas try overnight on newspaper. (I use our awesome, very country, Pigeon Roost News.)

Now for the difficult part. Use a water bottle to wet the paper and rub the paper away with your fingers. You have to be very careful because you need to remove all the paper, but not the image. This takes a lot of patience.

My image looked pretty good after getting a lot of the paper off, but when it dried, there were still paper remnants that became visible. I tried wetting the canvas again to remove the paper residue, but it was hard to get it off without also taking off the image. I put the canvas under running water in hopes of disintegrating the paper that way instead of rubbing which at this point was taking off the image, but that didn't work.


In the end, I was left with....

Not such a great gift. Thankfully, the blogosphere has more than one way to make a canvas print so on to take 2. I really wanted the transfer method to work because I think it's the coolest, but sometimes, you just need to admit defeat. Stay tuned for take 2.