Burlap Covered Canvas

I have been busy creating all kinds of diy gifts and projects that take a lot of time, energy and focus, so I needed a bit of a crafting palate cleanser.  That’s what this little guy was for me.  This was incredibly quick and easy to make and it is super versatile.  In fact, when I was trying to photograph it I couldn’t decide if I wanted to show it sitting on my mantle, as a place card holder for a table setting or simply on its own in the great outdoors.  You could really do whatever you wanted with this project and you could add whatever design suits your fancy.  I’m thinking Christmas!  To create this burlap covered canvas you  will need:

Canvas: $2.40 at Hobby Lobby with 40% off coupon

Burlap: on hand

stencil and paint (you could definitely free hand a design as well)

staple or glue gun

I started out by doubling up my burlap to make it a bit thicker and measured an amount to fit my canvas.  I cut it out and then stapled it to the back of my canvas frame.

My handy dandy Silhouette was used to cut a stencil, but again, you could easily freehand your own design.  I am absolutely terrible at freehanding, so I tend to avoid it like the plague.  I saved the unused portion of my stencil to be used on another project in the future.

When I am painting on burlap, I tend to blot with my brush instead of paint.  I find that the paint bleeds if I actually try to stroke with the paintbrush.  I’ve had really good luck with the blotting technique though, but I would suggest that you experiment and finds what works for you.  I used one coat of paint and pulled my stencil up.  I am really impatient and can never wait until a project has dried…I’m working on that!

Another project finished, a perfect crafting palate cleanser.  Here are some of the other settings that I tried while photographing this canvas:

Linking to: A Stroll Thru Life