fauxcanvasprint2

Getting your photos printed on museum wrapped canvas is hot right now.   I remember when I was younger and the prices were so outrageous for this service.   The prices have definitely come down, however it is still a little rich for my blood.   The cheapest place online I have found to get a 24” x 36” canvas print is $100. I discovered a technique to make a faux canvas print for about 1/3 of the price.

how to create museum wrapped canvas

Supplies:

Poster print of your photo

Brushstroke Mod Podge (I used gloss)

Foam roller

Canvas fabric

Spray adhesive

Exacto Knife

1.   I got a 24” x 36” poster print of my favorite family photo.   It cost me $15. The prices range from $15-$25 for this service.

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2.   I got a 1/4” MDF board cut to size at Home Depot.   Using my Scotch 77 Spray Adhesive I adhered the poster onto the board. I used a scrap of the poster to protect my surface as I burnished it down.

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3.   When it was dry I turned it over and trimmed the edges with an Exacto knife. Using practically a whole bottle of Brushstroke Mod Podge — I used a white foam roller and spread a thick, even coat on top of my poster print.

Brushstroke Modge Podge

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Since Mod Podge dries very fast you have to work quickly.

4. Once your have an even coat over your poster print you press a piece of canvas on top of it.   I used some canvas drop cloth material I had purchased at Home Depot.   Then slowly pull back the canvas material to reveal a “canvas print” onto your Mod Podged surface.

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5.   The canvas literally stamps its impression into the Brushstroke Mod Podge giving you a faux canvas look.   Now look over your photo meticulously to make sure there aren’t any hairs or fuzz that needs to be removed.   Use tweezers to remove anything.   If a part gets messed up just add more Mod Podge and press it again.

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Let it dry a full 24 hours before you hang it on the wall.   At this point I had an awesome frame I found at a church rummage sale for $7 forever ago.   I actually didn’t paint it or anything.   I liked the brown wood tones with our fall foliage picture.

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Extreme close up to see the texture…

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It looks so authentic.   No one would ever be able to tell that it wasn’t a canvas print.   Now if someone touches it then they can tell the difference.   The canvas prints have a smoother texture than its faux but it looks amazing and I am so thrilled with the price.   As yes, for those of you who are concerned, everything is acid free.

Cost breakdown:

Poster $15

Frame from Rummage Sale $7

Mod Podge $4

MDF $6 =

$32

Isn’t that awesome!?

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76 Comments

  1. That is a great idea. I love Mod Podge. I remember when I was young my Dad introduced me to it (Art was his minor, and he was very creative)…and just this Christmas I bought a new jar of it to teach my teens the wonders of Mod Podge.
    I feel like I have been reunited with a wonderful old friend!
    I will definitely try this when we ever get a family pic good enough to frame.

  2. Awesome idea Beckie!! 🙂 Wondering how to turn this into a wrapped canvas….

  3. beckie-this is a fabulous project! great tute. thanks for sharing this with us.
    gail

  4. you are like a crafty genius. What a great idea. and I love how cheap er frugal it is.

  5. you are like a crafty genius. What a great idea. and I love how cheap er frugal it is.

  6. you are like a crafty genius. What a great idea. and I love how cheap er frugal it is.

  7. you are like a crafty genius. What a great idea. and I love how cheap er frugal it is.

  8. I just started following you yesterday, and you paid me back today. 🙂 This is a great idea. I'm going to modify it a bit. If it works, I'll let you know.

  9. Very awesome – I didn't know you could get this kind of mod podge! PS, if you want to know a somewhat inexpensive way to do gallery-wrapped canvas, email me. 🙂 I do my own for my photography clients!

  10. What a FABULOUS technique. I just think this is great – you are too creative. I must try this.

  11. That is a beautiful family photo & I love how you achieved the canvas look for less! It's funny, we were at Red Lobster last week waiting for a table & our 9 year old son commented on a picture of a lighthouse & asked if it was a real painting because of the textured finish. We explained how you could tell that it was just a photograph (with something like ModPodge over the top to give it the textured appearance of brush strokes) because the "brush strokes" swirled over the entire surface. Anyway, that got me thinking that I could achieve a similar look easily at home with some trusty, ol' Mod Podge…thanks for this tutorial!

  12. I love this and I will definitely do it. My oldest daughter gave me a canvas picture of our family for Christmas and I couldn't believe how nice it looked. And with your idea I can make it happen for a fraction of the cost. Thank you ~Lori

  13. Okay, everywhere I look for a brayer, they either don't have it or don't have a clue what I'm talking about. WHERE can I get one?!? :/

  14. What an awesome idea Becky!! I've wanted a canvas for-evah as well, and this fits right in with my budget.

  15. In a word – – brilliant!! You impress the heck out of me, girl! We just snagged some great metallic paint chips at Lowe's and are trying the paint chip pendants this week 🙂

  16. Love this idea! fyi..if you want all your pictures, even your 5×7's, to have a linen like look and texture, Adoramapix.com does a beautiful job printing pictures when you choose the "silk" paper option and the price (as of 6 months ago) are comparable to walmart and costco!

  17. I am definitely doing this! This is brilliant. Why I am always saying this when I leave a comment on your site? I need a thesaurus next time I stop by!

  18. Totally inspiring! Are you kidding me? I love improving the things I love with things I already have. AMAZING and I can't wait to try it!

  19. That is such a great idea! I love it. It looks really really good. 🙂
    Thanks for the tutorial.

  20. Ohhhhh! I did something similar to this recently, but yours looks SO much better! I'll have to give your version a try soon. Love it!

  21. I love to print directly on canvas with Fredrix printable canvas sheets. Look 'em up – its wonderful!

  22. Great idea! If you would like a "real" unstretched canvas print, artscow.com has a deal going right now, this offer is for unstretched canvas sizes 8"x10", 11"x14", 12"x12", 12"x16" and 12"x18". Any 2 for $13.99 with free shipping.

    Also, for the person who wondered how to make this project into a wrapped canvas, there are a few different directions for doing so on ehow, just goodle it 🙂

  23. So wonderful! Do you think this would work on a regular finish photo (not a poster print), or would it smear?

  24. This is awesome…We need something large over our mantel. Now I just need to keep my eye out for a frame and I can make a "canvas" in any size to match it. Thank you!

  25. Wow this is a GREAT idea! I too LOVE my Canvas People print, but they get super pricey. I'm a new followed from I{heart}naptime!

  26. just wondering where you got your picture printed for only $15? can't find anything that cheap. can you help?

  27. just wondering where you got your picture printed for only $15? can't find anything that cheap. can you help?

  28. just wondering where you got your picture printed for only $15? can't find anything that cheap. can you help?

  29. just wondering where you got your picture printed for only $15? can't find anything that cheap. can you help?

  30. Amy seem me…..and I so glad I did…..this is so awesome…..I will be trying this with my grandchildren picture…….I love the canvas look……for a lot less….thank you for sharing…..

  31. Just wanted to let you know that I am playing around on StumbleUpon (20-something) and your page came up! Needless to say, I "liked" it. Yay!
    Heather
    Circle of Bliss

  32. Okease share your secrets on a way to do gallery-wrapped canvas. Christmas is coming and that would be such a treat for my children/grandchildren. Anxiously awaiting your response.

  33. You do it the same way except you wrap the paper around the canvas and staple it like you would if you were upholstering a chair. Then do the same finish I did on this one.

  34. A thought I had, to solve the rougher texture and random threads shedding in the mod podge. Could lightly spraying waterproofing on the canvas, before using it to texturize the mod podge, help smooth out the impression as well as help keep random threads from being transfered to the mod podge? It was just a thought. If it works, you could waterproof lace, knit or crochet samples or anything you could stamp with, for textures in all kinds of artwork. You came up with a wonderful idea that is a great inspiration and has so many uses. Thank- you!

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