delia creates

crafting, tutorial ·

Distressed Picture Canvases

This a project my friend Abby taught me how to do. Very simple once you get going.
***This has been improved and revised as of 12/14/2010***

Here are some other projects I have done using this method:
Distressed Alphabet Art Tutorial for Jessica from Happy Together
Tulip Canvases
Hot Wheels project
Bike canvas – to salvage any canvases that may have not worked the first time!

OK…Let’s get started!

Materials:
canvas
blown up photo
foam paint brush (like you use for toll paint)
a plastic card – like a credit card, or brayer
spray bottle of water
gel medium – glossy medium weight
it will likely look something like this:

I got mine from Michael’s. It is the priciest part of this project {$13} so use a coupon if you can. It also lasts a long time. I have made over 10 canvases of various sizes and still have some left.

1. Blow up a high resolution photo to the size of canvas you want to use. I couldn’t find a printer to do it larger than 11×14 unless I wanted to pay over $20 per print. I am frugal so I went with 11×14 and got a print for $1. You can do black and white or color. Either works great, just make sure the printer uses toner to print it so it will transfer to the canvas. Also…make sure you pick an image you don’t mind being reversed because it will transfer that way {or reverse it in photoshop before printing}. You print shop may be able to do this for you as well but some charge extra for it.


***Please note:  You can ONLY use 20 pound white copy paper. No gloss, NO cardstock, NO photo paper. The paper that works best is the cheap, basic stuff.


My print shop used a photo quality copy paper once. That worked okay too. Just make sure it isn’t a high gloss paper or thicker than regular printer/copier paper.

 * This image is from my tutorial for Happy Together so it kind of jumps ahead.



2. “Paint” the canvas with gel gloss medium. Give it a nice even, generous coat. If you spread it too thin the image transfer won’t be as predictable. If you spread it too thick the same thing can happen and it can look bad – trust me. I know. 🙂

3. Lightly spritz the blown up photo with water and place it picture side down onto the canvas. Use the credit card to smooth the paper out and push out any bubbles.  Just take the straight edge and stroke it from the center out to the edges. Having done it more than a few times I actually prefer to just use my fingers now. Do what works for you.

Let it dry overnight or for several hours – think 4+ hours. It needs to be completely dry for the image to transfer well.

4. Spray the paper until you can see the image through the wet paper. Pull of the paper very slowly. Rub the remaining paper off as much as you can until the paper is gone and all that remains is the image. As you can see, the image can come off with the paper so be gentle. Let it dry. I find an hour or so is plenty.

5. Repeat the process. You will think you have rubbed all the paper off but when it dries you will realize you definitely have a ways to go. I repeat the process about 2-3 times until I can see the image almost completely clear. I still have a very light film of paper left when I consider myself done. I don’t like to risk losing too much of the image.

Let it dry completely.

6. Paint the canvas with the gel gloss medium. You can also use triple thick or mod podge to protect the image. Let it dry.

This is a great project you can pick and put down…because well you have to. 🙂 So if you only have five minutes here and there to craft, this is great for that.

EXTRA TIPS:

I have mentioned some of this before. But is doesn’t hurt to say it again…

I suggest that you only use images that lend well to a distressed look. I have never had one transfer not have SOME image rub off…no matter how much I was careful. When I apply a nice even, and generous layer I have better luck, but I haven’t had a 100 % perfect one yet.

I use my fingers to rub the paper off but I have had a reader report success with using a damp sponge.

Remember: You MUST use regular copy paper with an image printed on it in laser toner. Other inks will not work . 

You must use gel medium. There are no other substitutions that I know of.

I hope that answers any questions you may have. Feel free to email me if you have more.

Have fun!

Updated:
You can now purchase the materials to make this project through Amazon.com, which should help take some of the guess work out. Click below to learn how:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. I think I'm thinking about this too much…:) Do I have the photo printed on regular paper or reprinted as a large photo? I'm sorry, apparently this was obvious to everyone else but I wasn't sure.
    Thanks – can't wait to try it!

    Reply

  8. You really have me thinking I could attempt this, Delia. So you think printing at like a Kinko's would be best over having it printed at Costco? I think I'll be headed to Michaels tomorrow!!

    Reply

  9. I just attempted my distressed canvases today!! They are drying as we speak… I forgot to flip the pictures in Photoshop, so I'm crossing my fingers they'll work out and I did everything correctly!!

    Reply

  10. This is an amazing idea and tutorial! I have now made three distressed canvases from photographs and two of old paperback book covers. My bro is an avid reader, so I printed off old covers of his favorite novels and used your technique. He loved them. I'll try to get pictures up on my blog soon. I used a matte gel medium and it worked beautifully. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  11. Do you know if this would work on something other than a canvas? I have a couple of those hanging calendars you get from Chinese restaurants that I've thought about paining over and redecorating, and thought that this would look pretty cool (if it would work, of course).

    Reply

  12. Delia . . . greetings from Northern Utah. This is a great project for guys too! I have several pieces in mind. Thank you for taking time. And yes, real men can craft too!

    Reply

  13. Awesome!

    I just did something similar with Mod Podge! But you can use a ink jet printing. Haven't tried it with color yet. Definitely going to try the gel medium.

    Reply

  14. This is a great project and I am a little unsure if you are printing the picture on regular paper or using photo paper? Can’t wait to try!! Thanks for the idea

    Reply

  19. hi I was wondering if u could add to the type of ink it needs to be and if u know of other ways to do this
    (like the mod podge),
    I only ask because I live in a small town and the only printer place is Walmart, are there photos the right type? I would really like to do this for my mom for mothers day this year! so I only have a few days to figure this out 🙁 thanks

    also has anyone tried doing it on bigger canvas but using the 8×10 pic?

    Reply

  20. I would love to try this and I just have a quick question: should I Iet the first coat of gel medium to dry before placing the wet paper?

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. So i just did finished two of these for my mother for mothers day! 🙂 They turned out so great! Thanks for the wonderful idea! love them!!! Thank you thank you thank you~

    Reply

  22. Thank you for this wonderful tutorial..looking forward to trying this. I have a photo of my friend and I when we were in our twenties..the perfect gift..nice one 😀

    Reply

  30. Thanks so much…i love your site! on this canvas project…i feel like i have a lot of paper still on my photo. but then add water & it looks all clear again. will the gel at the end 'brighten' it up again, or should i keep trying to get the paper off. thanks so much!

    Reply

  31. Oh Delia!!!! I was using Stumbleupon.com one time and I came across this! I ADORE this! I made my first one last night, which was basically a test dummy. Then I went to Micheals and bought for a steal 20 8×10 canvases. Thank you very much for this idea!!!!

    Reply

  34. Any suggestions as to where to get photos printed from a disc? Having a difficult time finding somewhere that can change image size and print using laser. Thanks

    Reply

  39. What process do i repeat? I want to try this, but it doesn't say what exactly to repeat. Am I supposed to do steps 1-4 all over again? Or do I take a blank piece of paper, wet that, and let it dry to take the extra paper off?

    Reply

  42. I used modge podge and an inkjet printer in color and it works great! Gel Medium is just an expensive version of modge podge.

    Reply

    • I have heard of other similar projects that use mod podge so I believe you can. You will need to google those tutorials though because I bet the instructions and results will be a little different.

      Reply

  50. This works amazing except I thought I had enough of the paper off and put a coat of modgepodge over the top. But there is still too much of a film from the paper. Do you know if there anyway to take off more of the paper without starting all over?

    Reply

    • I am so sorry. There really isn’t away to get more paper off of it once you apply the finishing coat. This medium is a tricky one. I have ruined a few canvases myself making these. You get better the more you do it, the darker your image is, and the more patient you are in gently rubbing on layer after layer. You can reuse the canvas and this technique but you have to paint it and probably use a different image. I blogged my own ruined canvas redo here: http://www.deliacreates.com/2010/06/lemonade.html

      Good luck!

      Reply

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