DIY: Quotes on Canvas

Remember when I did this project where I transferred photos onto canvas? Well… the more I thought about it, I was happy with the smaller picture transfer but the larger picture, I felt, had too many white lines running through it. So I thought I would recycle the canvas and turn it into something new.

With that said, let me take you through the tutorial on how to put your favorite quote on canvas. Keep in mind, you can use any color you wish, any size and any quote-assuming it will fit on your canvas. This project is so versatile. You could put your kid’s names on canvas, too.

Supplies Needed:

• Old Magazines (that you don’t mind cutting up)
• Scissors
• Canvas (the size is completely up to you)
• Modge Podge
• Vinyl Sticker Letters ( I purchased 2″ sticker letters at Meijer while grocery shopping for $2)
• Acrylic Paint (your choice in color)
• Paint Brush

Step 1: Cut strips of paper out of the old magazine and adhere them to the canvas using Modge Podge.

Step 2: Once the magazine strips are completely covering the canvas, then you’ll want to put another coat of Modge Podge on to seal the magazine strips onto the canvas. Let dry for at least a few hours before applying the vinyl stickers.

Step 3: This is probably the trickiest part of the project–figuring out what quote to put on your canvas and making sure it fits. I wanted to put “The best is yet to come”, but after laying out the letters, realized it wasn’t going to fit no matter how I arranged the letters.

Step 4: Once you have the quote and letters arranged, then go ahead and stick the vinyl letters to the canvas. (See the top right photo below).

Step 5: Cover the entire canvas with your color choice of acrylic paint. I choose an off-white and added brown around the edges for a “vintage feel”.  Allow the paint to dry overnight.

Step 6: Peel the vinyl letters off to expose your quote. (See bottom left picture below). Make sure you do this step carefully, otherwise you might pull off some of the magazine strips beneath. Some paint bled underneath the letters, but I just scratched it off using a toothpick.

Below is the finished project! I painted the sides of the canvas dark brown to clean it up a little bit, but it is displayed prominently in our living room along with my other DIY canvas transfer project. I think it looks good there and my husband loves that I thought of him and used a quote from the Beetles. (Oh, and you can even see a peek of the DIY Woodland Frame I created back in September!)

[This post was originally written for cincysavers.com. Click here to find more of my writing on cincysavers.]

Questions? Comments? Please feel free to share!