Hi everyone! Kelly, here, with a summer project just right for those hot afternoons when you are seeking shade. Make some lemonade, gather a few supplies you probably already have in your stash, and play along!
If you have seen any of my other projects around here, you know that two of my favorite things to work with are book paper (as in pages torn from books) and Mod-Podge. There's just something very satisfying about working with both of them! I've spent quite a bit of time this summer painting rooms and outdoor decks and kitchen cabinets, so naturally I am looking for easy decor projects to hang in these spiffed-up rooms.
Enter the relief-painted inspirational quote canvas!
I have seen this type of canvas project in a few different places around web-land, and decided it was my turn to try it out. Since this was my first try, there are naturally things I would change if I did it again.
Step One: Gather an artist's canvas in your desired size (they come in fun and unique sizes!), a discarded book (make sure you own it, and it's not a library book, although my local library recently had a sale of 10 books for a measly $1!!), Mod-Podge or other adhesive, some letter stickers you no longer love (they will be painted over and discarded), and various acrylic paints.
Step Two: Cover your canvas with book pages and adhere them with Mod-Podge or watered-down glue. You will be painting over the canvas again, so just make sure the pages are adhered with a thin coat. Let dry.
Step Three: Find some letter stickers that you have tucked in your stash - the ones you are probably not going to use on a layout, but can't bear to get rid of because you paid good money for them - and think of a great quote for your canvas. A quick trip to Pinterest or Etsy will find you many great words of wisdom.
Step Four: Start laying out the stickers on your canvas and play around with the placement. Do not stick them down firmly, as you will have to remove them after painting. Your stickers are going to be reverse-stencils. This is where I ran into a bit of trouble. Some of my stickers were quite old, and the edges kept curling up because of the glossy nature of the Mod-Podge. This made for some difficulty in the next step. I could have used a removable adhesive to stick them down, but that would have required additional work, so I did the best I could.
Step Five: Using acrylic paint, start washing color over the canvas and over the letters, playing with it as you go. I had to hold down some of my letters so the paint wouldn't seep underneath, and then had to make some areas darker after I removed the stickers so the letters would be more visible. I liked this technique, because you can still see the book print under the paint. I had also considered using spray paint, which would make the letters stand out more, I think, but I would have lost the watercolor-feel I was going for.
Step Six: After painting, carefully peel off the letter stickers and discard. Admire your new work of art!
Kelly
