DIY Home Decor

We have been in our house almost 4 years and most of our walls are still bare.  I have been embarrassed by how bare they are. So, a while ago, I started slowly decorating the walls.  I have re-done some of the artwork from our older houses to make them match here, and supplemented with artwork that I or the kids have made custom for our space.  One of my favorite ways to decorate has been to use vinyl either on my walls or on canvas.  Today I want to show you how to use vinyl sayings to make subway style artwork.

My recent project has been to tackle my son’s walls.  In preparation for this project, I had collected five or six sports related phrases, suitable for canvases, from the silhouette store.  My son and I sat down and picked out the four he liked best to make wall art for his room.  In a matter of a few days, I had completed two of his four canvases. 

For this project, you will need a canvas, Gesso, background paints of your choice and vinyl.  Since I made a painted frame, I also used regular blue painters tape to tape off my frame.  Start by laying down a layer of gesso.  I do this, even if I buy a pre-prepped canvas.  I find that the canvas will take the paint much easier with a layer of gesso down first.  Let this thoroughly dry.

 Next apply your background paint.  You can use whatever type of paint you would like, from the cheap $1 bottles from the craft store to house paint samples from the home improvement store. I personally get the best coverage and best color selection from artist grade acrylic paints.  Once you have your paint in hand, the next step is to lay down a layer or two of background paint, making sure to let it completely dry between coats.  If you want a painted frame on your canvas, mask the frame area off first before painting. Simple blue painters tape works well to mask off canvases.

The last step, once your canvas is completely dry, is to apply your vinyl decal.  I normally let my base coat dry at least overnight and preferably 24 hours.  Any moisture left in the paint will make it difficult for the vinyl to stick.  You can either cut your vinyl decal using any personal electronic die cut machine, as I did with my silhouette cameo, or purchase pre-cut decals from the various Etsy stores.  Sometimes, the local big box craft stores with have a small selection of pre-cut vinyl decals that can be used on a canvas also. Once I have positioned my vinyl where I want it to be, I always flip my canvas upside down and burnish HARD from the underside of the canvas before I begin trying to remove the transfer paper.  This helps the vinyl to stick and makes removal of the transfer paper easier.

That’s it, easy peasy inexpensive wall décor.  For more ideas on how to use canvases for home décor, you can search Pinterest and various blogs.  I also have other ideas of canvases I have done posted on my blog as well.  So, what are you waiting on?  Let’s go decorate our walls!