Pretty Painted Wall Art DIY

Today I have a simple DIY that is an easy way to create a customized piece of art. I have been carting around a blank canvas I got on clearance for months trying to figure out what to do with it. The inspiration just wouldn’t come.

See the DIY and behind the scenes after the jump!

Then one day it hit me – even though I’m no artist, if I just relied on simple brush strokes I could create an original work of art to hang in our bedroom. To make it memorable and unique, I decided to include a quote. I have Pat to thank for the saying, “Let’s Go Here”. To me, it’s a testament to fact that even with all the adventures we’ve had together, there’s still no place like our home.

To finish the look, I put together a tray of pretty flea market finds and knick-knacks to sit below it. Check out the end of the post where I share “behind the scenes” of creating the shoot and a bit more info on what’s all tucked into that tray.

DIY Easy Painted Wall Art

 

Materials

Blank Canvas (mine was 16″ x 20″)
Double-Sided Adhesive Paper
Acrylic Craft Paint, including white for touch ups (I used this assortment by Martha Stewart)
Liquid Gilding Paint (optional)
1″ Paint Brush
Detailing Paint Brush

Printable :: Let’s Go Here (.doc) (.pdf)

Instructions

1. Type and print out your desired message. For me, this was trial-and-error and I finally settled on font Lobster 1.4 in size 400. You can download my version here, or create your own.

2. Peel off one side of your double-sided adhesive paper and stick on your letters (you can cut out this step and print directly onto the adhesive paper, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes and waste it! Use an exact-o knife or scissors to cut out your letters.

3. I don’t trust myself to line everything up in a straight line, so I used a pencil and a straight edge to draw three lines on the canvas to help make sure my words were even! I also laid out the letters and traced around them lightly with a pencil to ensure that I didn’t have to peel them off and realign them.

4. Peel off the other side of your double-sided adhesive paper and line your message up. Press the letters down gently.

5. Dab your brush in the paint colors of your choice, starting with the lightest color (so you only need one brush) make quick brush strokes covering your canvas. You can practice on a piece of cardboard if you’d like. Let dry. I topped mine off with some gold gilding paint because I’m obsessed and can’t really call a project complete without it and then painted the edges of the canvas a solid coat of gold.

6. Gently peel off your adhesive letters. If you’re like me and the paint blurs the edges of the letter outlines, you can use your thin paintbrush and some white pain to clean them up (below).

Hang up your new, awesome custom art and enjoy!