DIY: Easy Photo to Canvas Craft {Tutorial}

Mod Podge is my bestie.  Okay, maybe it’s weird to name a jar of what is essentially paste, your best friend, but why not?  I mean it can do so, so many things.  I’m only sorry that it took 33 years for me to meet its acquaintance (just in case you’re wondering, we met last year, and I’m currently 34).  Can you imagine what I could have created as a kid if we had this stuff?  It seems that in all the crafty Pinterest pins that I fawn over, Mod Podge is listed as one of the ingredients.

Which brings me to this pin that I pinned sometime over the holidays.  There was no website or blog attached to it, but just basic directions including spray painting a board of wood, using Mod Podge, placing a picture (printed on regular printer paper) on top, sanding the edges, then using Mod Podge again.  They then screwed in hook eyes and attached ribbon to hang it.  Um, okay, but I had questions.  Did the black show through the picture?  Where their bubbles?  Did the picture or wood warp at all?  Where do you get hook eyes?  How hard was it to screw them in?  This is why I need a website tutorial.  It’s like I can’t craft without one.

Most importantly, since I have no scrap wood laying around – I wanted to know if I could do this on canvas.  I’d seen people do transfers before but it normally involved printing a picture on tissue paper then placing it on the canvas.  Considering my printer hates me, I don’t even want to try pissing it off with jamming tissue paper in it.  There was also a more sophisticated technique that involved printing the photo in reverse, attaching it, waiting over night, and then immersing it in water, but who has the time for that?  Not this mom.

Today, I’m thrilled to inform you that there is an easier way:

And here’s what you’ll need to do it:

Canvas

Mod Podge

Picture printed on regular printer paper

Hot glue

Ribbon

X-acto Knife

Sandpaper/Nail file

Sponge tip paint brush

Credit card/Debit Card/AAA card – anything flat and plastic

Step 1 – Print a picture using your printer using regular printer paper.  Not cardstock.  Not tissue paper.  Regular white printer paper.  I chose a black and white newborn picture of Hazeline that I’ve always wanted to put on canvas.

Step 2 – Paint the canvas black and allow time to dry.  I propped mine up on canned veggies to make sure that it wouldn’t stick to the paper towel.

Step 3 – Using the foam brush, cover the top of the canvas with a thin layer of Mod Podge.  Lay the picture on top of the Mod Podge and press to affix the picture.  Then use the credit/debit card to push the bubbles and wrinkles out from underneath the picture.  When all bubbles are out, allow time to try.Please note that in this picture I was using a regular paint brush to spread the Mod Podge, but that ended up being a huge mistake.  Because it’s an adhesive, it began to tear apart the paint brush, leaving little bristles all over the canvas.  I had to dig them up with my finger nails which was annoying and messy.  Please, please use a sponge tip brush!

Step 4 – Using the X-acto knife, trim the excess paper from the picture.  Once you’ve trimmed off all you can, use the sandpaper (or nail file) and rub it along the sides of the paper, trimming off the remaining excess.  If either the knife or the sandpaper disturb the black paint, don’t worry, you can touch it up later or leave it that way for a more rugged look.

Step 5 – Touch up the black paint on the sides of the canvas if you want to.  Once you’re happy with it, cover with another layer of Mod Podge – including the sides of the canvas – and allow time to dry.

Step 6 – Using hot glue, attach your ribbon to the back of your canvas.  Remember to do it at an angle or it won’t hang right.

Hang it up in a place where you will see it every day and enjoy your fabulous creation!  The photo looks a little grey-ish here, but I promise, it’s just the lighting.  Why can’t I get a house that has a perfect lighting spot for pictures?  Is that really too much to ask?

The key to this project is to appreciate its little flaws – my picture has a few small wrinkles under it (left hand corner), but it still looks great.  All my edges aren’t perfect, but unless you took it off the wall, you’d never know it.  And I just love that you can see the texture of the canvas in some places; it’s very authentic.  The best part?  This whole project cost about $9 (after coupons and supplies I already had)!  Mod Podge really is my bestie!

Happy Crafting!