How to Repurpose Canvas

Have you ever been to a Paint & Sip party? Usually held at vineyards or breweries, a local artist guides a group of people through painting a picture. They are such great fun, often times you will meet new people, or you can book a private event for a birthday or christmas party. At around $30, a Paint & Sip party is an affordable evening out with friends. And a souvenir to take home and cherish forever!

Wait… forever maybe not so much. I’m good at a lot of things. Painting… well, not yet! So while I don’t want to see my own paintings everyday, the canvas can be repurposed.

Fabric Selection

My intention for this project was to tie together existing decor on my dresser. I had recently added picture frames that didn’t look quite right with my mirrors.

I looked for a fabric that had both gold and grey tones, because I needed to blend bronze mirrors and chrome picture frames. I also needed a little bit of blue to help the water buffalo on the hand painted wood tray to stand out.

I found this fabric at Joann Fabric Store. It was on sale for $3.80/yard. I only needed one yard for my project.

Here is a link to this fabric’s listing:

https://www.joann.com/home-essentials-lightweight-decor-fabric-45in-scripted-spa/10922490.html

How to Repurpose Your Canvas in 2 Easy Steps

1. Cut your Fabric to Size
2. Staple your Fabric to your Canvas

This really is an easy project that has pretty awesome results in improving your home decor. The best part is that you are reusing things that you already had at home. If you are still unsure of what to do, watch this video!

Helpful Tools

1. Staple Gun – This tool is essential for this project and many others!
2. Staples – I used size 5/16″ 8MM staples. A similar size would also work.
3. Rotary Cutter – This is one of my favorite tools. Not totally necessary for this project. Scissors would work fine.
4. Self Healing Mat – This is great for cutting with the rotary cutter. The inch markings make projects like this a breeze.
5. Straight Edge Ruler or Yard Stick – Use this to guide the rotary blade.
6. Paper Weight – Anything heavy to keep your straight edge in place.
7. Pliers and Flat Head Screw Driver – You will need these to remove staples if you want to remove the old canvas before covering the frame.

Other Examples of Repurposed Canvas:

I picked up this Sisters of Golden Temple fabric from an estate sale for $1. I just loved the pattern and colors; burnt orange, pale purple, grey, and celery. It sat idle in my stash for about a year. I contemplated making an oversized pillow, or a skirt. And then its purpose became clear when I painted my bedroom and got new carpet put in. With fresh paint and flooring, it was also time for a fresh picture over the bed.

Previously I had a map over my bed. The colors were pastel, and kinda dingy at the same time. It was not something I wanted to see anymore. But the canvas was perfectly good! My Sisters of the Golden Temple fabric fit perfectly across the map canvas, but was short on the top and bottom. I used fabric scraps from decorative pillows to fill in. You can see in the bottom left that I did my best to piece the scraps together!

Other Examples of Repurposed Canvas Continued:

This fabric came from my grandmother’s stash. I believe that she bought it in Hawaii. My grandfather was stationed there for 3 years. It’s a Japanese silk print. She had about 3 yards of it. It’s a bit of an odd print with orange mountains and clouds, light pink hibiscus flowers, and a grayish olive colored background.

The canvas that I covered was a painting I bought at an estate sale. I really did not want it. It was an old peeling and cracked oil painting, but the seller told me I had to take it with the couches I was buying. The painting sat in the garage for a while until I decided to reuse the frame. I pulled all the staples out of the painting and tossed the old canvas as it was too textured (and falling apart) to cover over. The canvas is huge, 50x40x2 inches in size.

Notes on Repurposing Canvas

It is truly satisfying to make something old into something beautiful and new. It’s a way to up-cycle your old things. It’s also a nice way to update your decor without destroying your old memories. If I ever wanted to display my Paint & Sip paintings again, it would be a simple matter of pulling staples.

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