Tasha Chawner

My first attempt at a diy canvas shares the piano with our family photos

Inspired by this post over at A Beautiful Mess, I set about making my own canvas portrait – instead using one of my photos of a dandelion, just in case I really messed it up (first attempt and all!)

What you need:

1 cheap canvas (a couple of dollars from the discount store)

a fluid medium (I used Liquitex Matte Medium that I picked up from Lincraft.  Not sure if it was the right thing to use, but it worked!)

a wide paint brush

a spray bottle with water

photo of your choice, printed on regular paper

What to do:

1. Print your photo.  You have to be mindful what photo you used as it will end up reversed on your canvas (another reason I opted for the dandelion – a bit of an idiot-proof photo).

2. Prepare your canvas by applying a thick coat of your medium.

3. Press your photo on to the canvas, smoothing carefully to remove any air bubbles.

4. Leave your canvas to dry.  I left mine overnight.

5. Once dry, spray the paper and start to gently rub the paper layer off.  Once the paper starts to come away, you’ll see your image.  It’s damp and messy, but lots of fun watching as the image is revealed.  Just be a bit careful not to rub too hard in the one spot as you will remove the image.

6. Once all of the paper is removed and your image revealed, you can add a top coat of the medium to seal the image.

7. Place in a prominent place around the house and enjoy your new art!

If you decide to give it a go, be sure and post a link to show how your diy canvas turned out