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+ servings
by top Houston lifestyle blogger Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth
Print Recipe
5 from 12 votes

DIY Canvas Art Print

Customize your walls with your favorite photos using printable canvas paper for this DIY Canvas Art Print tutorial for your wall!
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: DIY
Cuisine: Wall Art
Keyword: diy canvas art, diy canvas print, how to print on canvas
Servings: 1
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator or any layout editing software
  • Inkjet printer
  • Scissors
  • Pliers
  • Staple gun and staples

Ingredients

Instructions

How to print your image onto the canvas:

  • Open up a blank document in Powerpoint and insert your picture or artwork. Center the photo on the slide.
  • Select the "rectangle shape" from the top tool bar and draw a rectangle roughly 2-3 inches larger than your photo. You can just eyeball it.
  • Right click on the rectangle shape and choose "Send to Back" in order to send it behind your photo. 
  • Right click on the rectangle shape again and choose a color fill similar to the general color of your photo. Note that the color you select will appear along the sides of your frame.
  • Do a test print on standard paper to confirm color and sizing look good.
  • Edit your print settings to optimize printing on the canvas by going to "File" –> "Print" –> "Printer Properties"’. Choose the following settings and hit ‘Print’:
    — Print Quality: ‘Best’
    — Paper Type: ‘Matte Photo Paper.
  • Once your canvas is printed, seal it with a spray coat of UV protective varnish to protect the ink.

How to mount your canvas:

  • Optional: Use a pliers to pull off the staples and blank canvas that came on the blank art canvases. This step is optional, but I found that I got a tighter wrap by removing the blank canvas.
  • Lay your printed canvas face down, and center the wood frame on the canvas. Check the canvas edges to confirm correct placement. Beginning with one of the longer edges, fold the canvas around the wood frame and staple towards the middle of the frame.
  • Fold the opposite edge around the other side of the frame pulling and stretching the canvas as tight as you can.
  • Staple the canvas into place.
  • Trim off excess canvas material at each corner at a 45-degree angle to help make the corners easier to wrap.
  • Wrap the first corner by taking hold of the loose canvas corner and pushing the corner in toward the center of the frame. The goal is to make a small fold from the center of the canvas corner down to the corner of the wood frame.
  • Fold the loose canvas flap onto the frame so that the folded edge is parallel with the corner. Secure flap with a staple.
  • Repeat these steps to wrap the remaining 3 corners.

Notes

  • Due to my printer limitations which prints a maximum size of 8.5”x 11”,  I opted to create a  5”x 7” and 5”x 5” canvas art print. 
  • If your printer can handle larger formats, consider using 11”x 17” printable canvas for additional size options.
  • Professionals use a canvas pliers to stretch larger canvases. However, for this size canvas, using your hands work just fine.