I’ve been wanting to make a piece of art to go in our entryway for quite awhile now. I got the idea to use an old canvas that I already had on hand and add some texture. Then, I suddenly started seeing DIY texture art everywhere, so I decided to try my own spin on the trend! If you want to learn a super easy way for how to make a textured canvas painting, then I’ve got you covered!
How to make a textured canvas painting? Apply the drywall joint compound on the canvas with a putty knife. Use cardboard and a paper plate to make a “rainbow shaped” template and lay on top of the canvas. Continue drawing lines around the template with your fork. Then, remove the template and fill in the center. Allow the canvas to dry, then paint it white. Use a contrasting color to paint the inside of the textured shape. Attach some boards around the sides of the canvas with a nail gun to create a frame.
I love a good DIY art project. I recently shared my tutorial for DIY Color Block Art and that piece is still hanging above our bed. It is a favorite for sure. I wanted to create something equally as simple and impactful for our entry way. I love how the finished product turned out!
How To Make A Textured Canvas Painting
One of my main driving forces behind this project was to challenge myself to see if I could make something for the entry for no cost. I’m happy to say that I did it! I spent $0 on this project. Even if you don’t have all of these materials on hand like I did, this is still a very inexpensive DIY home decor project that will make a big impact. Like I said, I already knew I wanted to do something with texture and then I kept seeing people create textured art on Instagram. I particularly liked this modern art canvas by This Minimal House.
Materials Needed For A DIY Textured Canvas Painting
Here’s what you will need to make this DIY textured canvas painting:
- Drywall Joint Compound
- Canvas
- Comb
- Cardboard
- Wood Pieces (for the frame)
- Nail Gun
- Stain
- Paint
Instructions For How To Make A Textured Canvas Painting
1. Apply the drywall joint compound on the canvas with a putty knife.
I just used an old plastic container and mixed the compound with some water until I liked the consistency. There is no specific way to do this, just eyeball it. You want it to be about the consistency of peanut butter. Apply it with the putty knife and make it fairly smooth, but some texture is ok!
2. Use cardboard and a paper plate to make a “rainbow shaped” template and lay on top of the canvas.
I used a paper plate and 2 rectangle pieces of cardboard and just taped it together. Then, use a plastic fork to draw lines around the template.
3. Continue drawing lines around the template with your fork. Then, remove the template and fill in the center.
Do this as much or as little as you want. I wanted my rainbow shape to fill most of the canvas, but you could do less to make a skinnier shape.
4. Allow the canvas to dry, then paint it white.
I wanted everything to have a nice white base, so I just used some leftover wall paint from a previous project and painted the entire thing white.
5. Use a contrasting color to paint the inside of the textured shape.
I painted mine a rust/brown color at first but I didn’t like it so I ended up choosing a mustard yellow. I love how it turned out. I had to do a few coats to make sure everything was nice and even. You also might want to use a smaller artist’s paint brush for any touch ups.
6. Attach some boards around the sides of the canvas with a nail gun to create a frame.
This just elevates the whole thing to make it look a little more polished and less “DIY”. You could leave the wood raw or stain it. I chose to do a light stain.
And that’s it! I love how simple and modern it is, yet the texture provides tons of interest.
But my favorite part of all is that it was FREE! This project would work great with all different kinds of color block shapes. It could also be a great craft for older kids.
Check out some of my other DIY art ideas:
