DIY Canvas Wall Art: Glitter, Photos, & a Quote
This eye-catching Pinterest inspired weekend project added the wow-factor to my room without much effort.
Ever since I saw the DIY Glitter Chevron Art by 'Penny Pincher Fashion' pinned on Pinterest over 1 year ago, I knew I had to try it. After that, I kept seeing DIY photo canvases, which I really liked too. So I used both ideas to come up with a little weekend art project.
Recently, I posted pictures on Instagram with these canvases in the background & my friends asked me/complimented me on them. {picture 1 • picture 2 • video}. Check out the video that I just posted too.. you can really see how the glitter sparkles when the light hits it -- so pretty!
Since I had taken a lot of pictures during the process from my cell phone, I decided to blog about it. I've included the steps, but feel free to contact me if you need any clarification.
First up, the red chevron glitter & the purple striped glitter canvas wall art pieces.
I used acrylic paint. & the glitter that I used is glitter used for art (from Wal-Mart).
I used acrylic paint. & the glitter that I used is glitter used for art (from Wal-Mart).
I knew I wanted one of the canvases to be a mix of both the red & purple colours with a quote on it. I chose the following quote by Sam Levenson: "For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people."
While painting the canvas itself, I used the same foam brushes that I used to paint the other 2 canvases above, but just lightened my strokes as I got to the halfway point on the canvas.
While painting the canvas itself, I used the same foam brushes that I used to paint the other 2 canvases above, but just lightened my strokes as I got to the halfway point on the canvas.
Lastly, I knew the photo canvases would be easier to make, but I wanted to add my own touch to make them stand out a bit more. In most of the tutorials that I've seen online, they paint the edges a certain colour or apply coloured strips.
Since I was working with glitter & going with a gold theme in my room, I decided to do glitter edges. Also, I feel like glitter edges are so versatile because they will look good with almost any decor.
The steps for these will be listed below the picture because they're a bit lengthy.
Photo canvases with glitter edges:
Step 1 - the glitter edges: Place a lot of glitter on a newspaper in the middle area (where the newspaper was folded). Apply tacky glue to one edge of the canvas. Firmly place the edge covered in glue on the glitter, press it down, & move it around to ensure that edge is covered in glitter. Repeat for the 3 other edges.
Please note: you can apply paint on the edges before you start this process so that none of the canvas shows through.
Step 2 - the photo: Apply a generous coat of mod podge on the canvas & place your 8 x 10 photo on top. I left the canvas face down with a heavy book on it overnight.
Step 3 - the finishing touches: The next morning, I applied a coat of matte mod podge on the photo & on the edges. The mod podge acts as a sealant. Also, using a matte mod podge will avoid any glares from the lights in my room.
A few points:
- When painting the canvases, cover the edges and go over a bit to the back so that if someone's looking at the canvas from the side, the unpainted canvas doesn't show.
- When working with tacky glue & glitter: work in small sections & cover the entire area that you've applied the glue to with a thick layer of glitter by sprinkling it over generously. Tap off the extra glitter on a newspaper/paper & pour this back into the jar of glitter.
- If you're applying glitter to the edges of the canvas, make sure you press down on the glitter firmly so the edge gets coated well & the white from the canvas doesn't show through. (Alternatively, as mentioned above, you can also use a gold paint as a base first to hide the white canvas if you want).
- The mod podge applies white, but don't stress. I won't lie.. this part scared me a bit when I applied the mod podge over the glitter & the photos & it was white. But as you can see from the final result, it really does dry clear.
I adhered these using double-sided tape right above my desk. They add a fabulous touch to my otherwise blah room - not only because of the glitter & the quote, but because I have my loved ones right there at all times :)
