DIY Craft: No Canvas Needed Fabric Wall Art

I’ve been seeing an awful lot of wall art lately that is so easy that even non-crafty people could bang out some awesome-looking results! Since I have some fabric that is bright and paisley and I love it, I thought that it would be the perfect way for me to spruce up an otherwise boring wall in my master bedroom. One problem. I was hoping for a large piece, 2 feet by 2 feet to be exact. I couldn’t find a canvas that was the perfect size and I was going to compromise with a 20″x20″ canvas. But that sucker was 30 bucks!

It dawned on me that while it is much quicker and easier to cover a canvas with fabric, it is insanely cheaper to build a frame and cover that. A trip to the hardware store sent me home with an 8 foot long 1×2 board I paid $1.23 for. The only other supplies I needed for my project I already had so this project ONLY cost me $1.23. How cool is that? I get the size I want for around $28 less!

I tried working up this tutorial a couple of weeks ago. The problem was I couldn’t saw the boards and take photos. It just wasn’t going to work. Luckily, my father has been in town and he provided the handiwork while I took the photographs. Check it out!

For this project you will need:

• measuring tape
• 1×2 wood board (sold at hardware stores)
• miter box
• saw
• 8 moulding nails (nails with itty bitty heads sold in hardware sections)
• hammer
• pencil
• pocket knife or utility knife
• fabric
• staple gun

First, a couple of drawings to help you visualize what you’re going for. When working with angled cuts, it is really important to know what you need well in advance of cutting. See the pic above? That is how the frame is going to be put together in the end.

So we need four pieces cut like in the pic above.

To achieve that, we are going to make five cuts on our board. See the pic above? That is how each piece of the wood will be cut from one long board.

First, you’re going to make your first angled cut. All of our corners need to be 45 degrees to fit together for nice, clean 90 angles and a perfect square. It will be this way for squares or rectangles as finished shaped. The first cut is going to be close to the end of your board. Cut the 45-degree angle all the way through with the assistance of your miter box.

Next, we need to measure from the end the length we need. My frame is a 2 foot by 2-foot square, so my mark is there.

Line your mark up with the correct angle in your miter box (double-check because I’ve cut the wrong angle a million times accidentally).

Complete the cut. If you are making a rectangular shape, measure out and make cut out the second piece of your frame.

Now you can basically put your measuring tape to the side. Use your existing cut-out side and use it to mark and cut your 2 remaining sides. This will eliminate a lot of human error.

After your pieces are cut out, use a utility knife or pocket knife to clean up the sawed edges.

Place two of your boards together in the angled shape. If you have a piece of existing wood, it is perfect to use as a guide. Hold the two pieces against the guide and use your hammer and nail to connect the two pieces together. Continue for the remaining 3 angles until the shape is complete.

Take your fabric and lay it face down (pretty side down). Place your frame on top and adjust so that you get the interesting parts of the fabric within the frame, or ensure that your pattern is running straight.

Pull the fabric taut and use your staple gun to attach, using staples regularly around the edge.

When you get to a corner, fold in just as you would when wrapping a present. Staple as necessary to eliminate bulk. Trim up a piece of excess fabric and voila! You have some easy art that requires absolutely no artistic talent and since you busted out some tools, you saved a ton of money by not buying premade canvas from the hobby store! Did I say you’ll save a ton of money? See you next week!

Allison

A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.