When it comes to art, we’re huge fans of displaying unique, one of a kind pieces in our homes and décor schemes. Whether the creative bug has bitten us and we’ve finished a brand new painting or whether we’ve simply seen a cute DIY idea online that we couldn’t wait to recreate, we just feel more at home when we’re surrounded by artsy wall décor that we made ourselves or saw our friends make. Strangely enough, out of all the different techniques and crafts that exist out there, one of our favorite ways to make decorative art is by using a canvas. There are just so many possibilities for that blank surface!
Just in case you love canvas art as much as we do but you feel like you need a little bit of inspiration, here are 15 awesome tutorials that will help you express yourself and decorate your space in creative ways that you might never have realized you can even make with a simple canvas as your starting point.
1. Peeled tape painted canvas
Even if you appreciate some colourful décor, there’s still a way to do that while also preferring a minimalist style in the pieces you choose to both display and make. We love pieces that draw the eye simply by reminding us of the beauty of some colour and a few angles, just like these ones featured on Becuo. Besides being awesome to look at, they’re so easy to make that it’s almost criminal! Stick some tape to your blank canvas in different directions, paint over it and, once the paint has dried, carefully peel the tape off. The result is a series of clean white stripes through the colour and we think it looks great.
2. Big quote on dyed drop cloth canvas
Are you more of a word art person than an abstract or visual arts enthusiast? We can’t blame you; some of the quote-based art we’ve seen our artistic friends create over the years has left us speechless and made us feel motivated! That’s why it’s just a cool thing to hang in your space. Quote canvases are a great reminder of sentiments that mean something to you. Tanner Projects agrees, but on a pretty large scale! Their tutorial shows you how to make a wonderfully large quote piece on a drop cloth canvas, rather than just a little painting frame.
3. DIY beach canvas art
Did you love the simple dual colour look of the minimalist tape art we showed you above? We certainly admire the way a stark white element jumps out visually against a brightly coloured background. Mom Endeavours agrees with us, so they’ve built a tutorial that will show you how to get that same effect but in a different shape. Check out their adorably beachy seahorse silhouetted in white! It’s perfect for cottage on the beach or a seaside themed room that looks like a sandy haven in the middle of the city.
4. Abstract masking tape stripe art
Are you still thinking about the tape technique but you also feel like you can think of other ways to use tape in canvas painting too? Well, we think you should get as creative as possible whenever the artistic spirit moves you, so go ahead and use that tape however you feel! We love the way Ooh, I Like That used it to make space between painted shapes rather than just using it to create lines within a solid background. They used their tape to create a sort of brick lay pattern that looks like an awesome graffiti wall when you peel it off!
5. Hexagon canvas and floating hexagon wall art
Are your favourite kinds of art actually more along the lines of a cut and paste craft rather than a painting project? Then we promise a blank canvas is still a totally useful thing for you to have! Take a look at how Tara Dennis create a cool textured looking hexagon design by sticking down black, gray, and sparkling gold shapes made from decorative scrapbooking paper all across the surface. We love how they saved a few to stick to the wall around the canvas too so the art extends beyond its own frame!
6. Scrapbook paper flower wall art
Do you really like the idea of working with cut and pasted scrapbooking paper but you’d rather create an image that uses all kinds of patterns, colours, and designs rather than just sticking to a three-colour scheme? Then perhaps something like this super colourful pieced together flower canvas by Crafts Unleashed is a little more your style! We love the way they used all different types of paper to make the same image, almost like an extra eye catching mosaic piece. This is a great way to use up paper scraps from your scrapbooking stash!
7. DIY canvas chalkboard art
Have your absolute favourite art pieces always been the ones that are a little bit interactive or that you can change and customized whenever you see fit? Then chalkboard paint is about to become your best friend! The Merry Thought suggests painting a nice, even square of chalkboard paint on some canvas strips and hanging them up like mini tapestries on your wall, then storing white chalk near them for some freehand drawing fun. Write messages, change the motivational quote each week, or draw a seasonal picture! This might be one of the most versatile canvas art ideas we’ve ever come across.
8. Raised song lyric canvas
We you still thinking about the quote canvas idea we showed you earlier because word art is simply your favourite, but you’d rather something a little more subtle than the giant canvas drop cloth from the previous idea? Then perhaps this monochromatic canvas featuring raised song lyrics is a little more your style! A Casarella walks you through the process of making the textured words in a way that’s probably much easier than you’d imagine. Even if you find a quote that you’d rather work with then song lyrics, your finished product will still be stunning in a lovely, understated way!
9. Peeled and painted over quotes
Are you still intrigued by the idea of stick, paint, and peel art techniques, but you still think there are probably other creative ways to use the technique than just the straight tape lines we’ve shown you so far? Well, you’re actually correct! Just in case you’d rather combine this technique with a good piece of quote art, here’s a tutorial on creating stick and peel letters from Six 2 Eleven. We can’t get over how cool the colours look peeking out from behind a fully white painted top layer.
10. Instagram photo canvas prints
Painting and getting artsy with scissors and glue is always fun, but those are by no means the only ways to get creative with canvas art. What if your favourite thing to display in your space is actually photography, for example? Then you’re going to love this DIY secret for making your own canvas photo prints using Instagram pictures. Talk about a cool way to celebrate the memories you’ve shared with friends! See the whole process on Popsugar.
11. Glitter chevron canvas
We’ve talked about quite a number of eye catching crafting techniques in this post so far, but if you’re a real hands-on crafting enthusiast, you’ll know that there’s one tool and technique still missing and it’s one of the flashiest of them all… glitter! Some people tend to use glitter as a sprinkled accent when they’re creating art, but we actually think it’s deserving of more attention, so we prefer to use it as a standout part of the piece, just like Johnny and Rach did here! They show you how to create sparkling chevron shapes out of silver glitter (but you could use any colour you please) with neat white contrasting chevrons in between. You’ll love the way it sparkles from across the room!
12. Coloured tissue painted canvas
Have you always loved the look of water colour paintings but you’re not actually very confident in your painting skills so you’ve never tried it? Well, we think everyone should try any crafting technique they please, but just in case you’re not quite feeling reading to tackle paints just yet, here’s a way to fake the water coloured effect using tissue paper instead! This tutorial from Fiskarsshows you how to cut tissue paper into fun shapes, wet it, and apply it to a plain white canvas so the dye in the paper transfers and stains it in a sort of abstract way, mimicking the whimsical colours of a water colour painting.
13. Gold stenciled canvas
Are you still thinking about the paint blocked canvas techniques but the look of white lines between your shapes just doesn’t appeal to you? Well, who’s to say you can’t fill those white lines in? UoF Fashion Files is clearly on the same page as us, because they filled theirs in with metallic silver and gold paint that contrasts well with the main colours they chose for each canvas!
14. Cut out canvas wall art
We’ve talked about paint, glitter, paper, and glue, but what if the cool artsy canvas piece you’re envisioning in your mind didn’t involve any of these things? There are totally ways to achieve alternative crafting looks without sticking to solely these techniques. One of our personal favourites is this canvas cut out idea from Joyfully Jensen. Rather than painting the shapes you like on, try cutting them right out of the canvas for a cool modern look.
15. Painted glue patterns on canvas
Are you still enthralled with the concept of the textured canvas letters we showed you earlier, but you’re not sure quote art is really where you’d like to take your piece? Well, luckily for all of us, Virginia and Charlie have a tutorial that shows you how to get a similar effect but with swirls and patterns instead! Check out how they use painted glue to create beautifully subtle custom designs.
