DIY Decoupage Canvas Wall Art Project for Beginners

This DIY decoupage canvas wall art project for beginners is a great way to create your own beautiful art piece.  It’s a fun project that even the kids can help with.  

While shopping in a thrift store recently, I came across this large canvas hanging sign with wooden frames on the top and bottom edge.  Priced at just $3.49, it was a great budget-friendly option, so I decided to use it for my DIY project.

To make your own canvas art project, here are some canvas frame ideas:

• Amazon sells these very reasonably-priced hanging scroll canvases in different sizes
• You could purchase a blank canvas from a craft store, or these canvas boards from Amazon
• You could make your own DIY scroll similar to how I did in this DIY vintage art project
• You could even use an old painting or canvas and cover it up using this decoupage technique for a whole new look! Look around at thrift stores or maybe you even have one in your basement!

This post is sponsored by Dixie Belle Paint Company. Paint and supplies have been generously provided, but all ideas and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

DIY Decoupage Canvas Wall Art Project for Beginners: Step-by-Step Tutorial

If you’re upcycling an old canvas or painting, be sure to give it a good clean before beginning. I used my favorite Pristine Clean from Dixie Belle.

1. Paint

Using paint was an easy way to cover up the text on my thrifted canvas. 

First, I taped off the wood frame with painter’s tape to prevent any paint color from getting on it.

Next, I chose my favorite Dixie Belle Chalk Paint in the color “Fluff”, and gave my canvas 2 coats of white paint.  

It didn’t quite cover all of the black lettering, but it was good enough since I would soon be covering it up with a decoupaged print.

Obviously, if you are starting your piece of art with a blank canvas, you won’t need this step.

2. Choose Your Art Print

The next step is to decide what art to feature on your DIY canvas art piece.

I purchased this set of gorgeous Blue Heron prints from Etsy for less than a couple of bucks.  I plan to hang my unique wall art in our screened porch overlooking a pond.  We often see a Blue Heron fishing in the pond, so I thought this would make a beautiful canvas to serve as a focal point above the fireplace.

Etsy has so many affordable, and high-quality printables that you can easily scale one to whatever size you need for your own art canvas.

Tips for choosing your print:

• consider where you will hang your own wall art (living room, dining room, guest room, laundry room) and choose a color scheme that will work in that space
• make a seasonal piece of art, and choose a print with an appropriate color palette
• choose a print with your favorite colors, or the colors of your home decor
• for a modern look, use a print with a geometric pattern
• create an abstract painting by mixing and matching various decoupage mediums like tissue paper, wrapping paper, even paper napkins! 
• you could even make this project using a favorite photo–just be sure to print it out on regular printer paper and not photo paper
• you can buy decoupage papers in different colors and patterns like these from Dixie Belle Paint Company . Dixie Belle has several gorgeous patterns that would be perfect for this project– landscapes, vintage prints, florals, and more!

3. Size Your Print Appropriately

My Etsy printable art came in a high-resolution PNG format.  That made it easy to send it to Office Max and have it printed as an 18″x20″ print, which was the same size as my thrifted canvas.  

You will want to size your print to match the canvas you’re using for your project.  You may have to cut it to the right size, and it’s fine if it doesn’t completely fill the canvas.  The Mod Podge will help it blend in.

–>Tip: This project is great for a large wall art idea, but if you are creating large-scale art, be sure your image will print in high resolution so it doesn’t become blurry or pixelated. 

4. Mod Podge

Once you’ve decided upon your print or decoupage paper, you’re ready to attach it to your canvas.

The first step is to pour as much Mod Podge as you think you’ll need to cover about 1/4 of your canvas.   Just pour it directly onto the canvas and smooth it out into an even layer using a paint brush.  Be sure to get it all the way to edges of the canvas.

Next, lay your print on top of the Mod Podge and use your hand to smooth out any big wrinkles or bubbles.  Keep in mind that with this kind of canvas art, there will be some creases or wrinkles–it’s just the nature of decoupaging.  It’s okay though!  It just adds to the cool look of this easy project!

Keep following this process of adding a bit more Mod Podge, spreading it with your paint brush, and then smoothing another section of your print onto the canvas until the entire thing is attached.

​At this point, the Mod Podge may still be a bit milky-looking, but as it dries, it will begin to clear up.

After an hour or so, you’re ready for the last step–brushing on one final thin coat of Mod Podge over the entire decoupaged print to give it a protective coating.

5. Optional Embellishment

This last step is a fun part, but completely optional.   Using a little bit of metallic paint, highlight a few small areas of your art piece.  

I used Dixie Belle’s Moonshine Metallic Paint in the color Steel Magnolia to add some sparkle to the Blue Heron’s wings, and the color Deep Woods to accent some of the grass.

Now that your easy canvas painting is done, be sure to give yourself credit for your artistic talent!  Using a thin black Sharpie, add your unique signature to the bottom. 

Voila!  You’re an artist! Your DIY Decoupage Canvas Wall Art is ready to display!

Vintage Butterfly Tissue Decoupage Paper

I have been waiting patiently for Dixie Belle’s newest tissue decoupage paper to arrive in this gorgeous vintage butterfly print.

Since the back of my canvas was blank, I decided to turn this into a 2-for-1 art project!

Be sure to hop over to this post to see how the back turned out using this easy decoupage paper from Dixie Belle!

And scroll down to see all of the materials used to create both of these great art projects.

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More Projects You Might Like:

• Odds & Ends with Dixie Belle Paints
• How to Paint Old Picture Frames

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

• Pristine Clean
• Chalk Mineral Paint– Fluff
• Vintage Butterflies Decoupage Paper
• Gondola and Landscape Decoupage Paper
• Floral Ballerina Decoupage Paper
• Moonshine Metallics Paint
• Dixie Belle Paint Brushes
• Dixie Belle Artist Brushes