Hip2Save This Holiday: Homemade Photo Canvas
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 at 2:49 pm.
Hip2Save This Holiday Guest Post Submitted By Reader Laura…
I am so excited to share this easy, cheap, and beautiful gift idea with your readers. I love the look of the photo canvases you can buy, but they can be very expensive. Instead, I’ll show you how to get a similar look for a tiny fraction of the price! You will be mounting a square photograph onto a square piece of wood, and then using Mod Podge to create a canvas-like texture over the top.
You will need a 12″x12″ photograph (can get printed at Costco for only $2.99), sandpaper, Mod Podge (buy at Michael’s or Joanne’s with a 40% off coupon), any paint color you want (used paint I already had), and a 12″x12″ wood square.
I bought a wood board that was 12″x 60″at Lowe’s that only cost $7.77, which will make 5 photo boards. I had a worker there cut the board for me into 5 equal pieces, so that I ended up with 5 boards for 5 different photographs. So it ended up costing me less than $5 per photo board, including the photos, which is a great price for a beautiful gift your family or friends will love!
First you need to sand the edges of the wood board, just to smooth it down a little.
Then paint the sides of your board. I painted two coats.You can use any color of paint that you like. The color you choose will be what is painted on the edges of the wood, so make sure to pick a color that complements your photo. If you are giving this as a gift, I would recommend painting the back too.
Next, paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of your wood board. Then stick your photo down on the board and smooth it down.
Next comes the scary part! Brush on a layer of Mod Podge on top of your photo. It will look like you ruined it, and you’ll be wondering if you messed it up, but it will be okay! The Mod Podge dries clear, and will look fine after a few minutes.
I used horizontal brush strokes for the first layer, and once that dried, I brushed on a second layer using vertical brush strokes. This gave it a canvas-y look that I liked. Just make sure you use full brush strokes straight across, to make it smooth. Once the top dries, brush the sides with Mod Podge too. You can see a little bit of the texture on the photographs that makes it look like canvas.
This project is so cheap, so easy, is very quick to make, and makes an amazing gift! 
For more information on my Hip2Save This Holiday series and to learn how you can participate in the fun, click here!
amy says:
What a neat idea! Thanks Collin and Laura! I’m not typically the crafty sort, but I think I might give this one a try!!
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
Thanks Amy! It is seriously easy and the results look really great. You can do it!
Lisa says:
Just printed out the instructions! Very simple and could be made with ANY size…love it!
Starla says:
Now I have an idea for gifts, thank you!
Yvonne says:
This is so cool, i will definitely be making these for my parents of all their grandkids
heather says:
Thanks. I always come close to talking myself into the canvas deals but never do! Now I can do it a much cheaper way! Great gifts for the grandparents
Siu says:
Totally doing this!!! Thanks!
Shanna says:
OMG!!!!! I will be doing this, like this weekend! I have a ton of pictures that I want like this for my wall! Wonderful craft project! I just wanna leave work and do it now!
Kathryn says:
I want to “Pin” this but how do I do that? There’s no icon
Tera @ Adventures in Mommy-Hood says:
You can just add a pin from pinterest. Just click on “add” at the top, then on “add a pin” in the pop-up. Copy and paste this post’s url (http://hip2save.com/2012/12/04/hip2save-this-holiday-homemade-photo-canvas/) and click “find images.”
melany says:
I have done this before with a black and white photo, and tear the edges of the photo so that it’s not perfectly square and the edges are tattered to make it looked aged or vintage. Comes out really cool!
Carrie says:
I’ve done one similar to this. I make sure to use my coupons at Michael’s (they are usually cheaper than JoAnn) and do these right on canvas. I love seeing all of the different variations! Here’s the link for the instructions on what I did:
http://thesassypepper.blogspot.com/2010/11/mod-podge-photos-on-canvas.html
Lisa says:
Thanks Carrie. I love this variation also. Going to try it with pictures of my 3 girls for my bedroom.
Donna says:
Love this idea!!! Thanks for sharing
Stephanie says:
You forgot one of the steps- have incredibly cute kids! Your kids are adorable!
Ashley says:
Beautiful kids!!!! With those bright eyes, tiny noses and adorable cheeks, they look like little cabbage patch dolls!
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
Thanks Ashley! I think they’re pretty darn cute too
Roxanne says:
Thanks I am also doing this yahoo!
Maddie H says:
Anyone tried this using a blank canvas? Just thinking it might be a little easier to hang.
Carrie says:
Yep..posted a link on the instructions I used above. It’s very easy to do on canvas
Maddie H says:
Great, thanks!
Siu says:
Where can you buy the canvas? Lol Walmart? Hobby Lobby?
Carrie says:
I think the best price is at Michael’s (w/ coupons, but they run deals ALL of the time!) JoAnn has them…Hobby Lobby probably does too…I don’t go there much.
Kristi says:
Micheals is the cheapest place to buy them! They run the packs of 7 (?) for 50% off regularly. The 12X12 and 8X12 canvases are $16.99 or $19.99 (sorry my I am braindead right now and cannot remember accurate price for sure, but no more than $19.99) so on sale you can get 7 canvases for 10.00 making them a $1.48 a piece! You cannot beat that. I use them all the time to scrapbook on
Ambo says:
Big lots also has canvas, but not as many sizes. It is cheaper than Michaels even if you have a 40% coupon.
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
Easy to hang with a hardware kit OR for a “hipper” method, use an aluminum soda can tab, the part that you can flip off. One hole is to attach the tab to the wood, the other hole is to hang it with a nail. Easy to hang and cheap!
angelahoang12 says:
Definitely going to try this! Thanks! But how do you hang it up???
Sharon says:
That was my question. I guess buy a little hardware kit.
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
See my comment above, but the easiest way to hang it is using a soda can tab!
adrienne says:
Great idea! I would love to see more easy, affordable gift and home decor ideas!
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
I have lots of easy and affordable gifts and home decor ideas on my diy craft blog if you’d like to take a look! I use lots of coupons and things that I buy on sale to make many of my projects
Laura says:
Forgot the link… here it is!
http://www.makelifelovely.com
angel says:
Love your blog!
jamie says:
I am not sure about wood prices, but I made some similar to this by using premade canvas’s from Hobby lobby. I bought two packs really cheap with coupons, painted the edges, got pics printed, and then covered the front with modge podge. Then lay them picture side down to dry. I made about 25 to hang in my hallway including two large 16×20′s(costco printing), and spent less than 80 bucks! I could barely print two 8×10 canvas’s for that!
Tera @ Adventures in Mommy-Hood says:
Laura, your children are beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing your idea with the hip2save community.
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
Thanks Tera!! You are welcome
jessica says:
AWESOME! i could do this myself! DIY!!!
i got an email from canvas on 80% off was about to place an order but i guess not!
THANKS COLIN!
Kinni says:
I bought a 12×12 canvas from hobby lobby, and had a 12×12 image printed in black and white at office depot for .59 cents. The charge .59 cents pr sq. ft for black and white, and 1.99 a foot for color. 4.99 if you want it glossy. Then I modge podged the image to the canvas and it turned out great.
Traci says:
Curious, I don’t see a 12×12 print option on Office Depot’s officedepot.lifepics.com/. Did you order in store? Off of a SD card? Thanks for your insight!!
Suzie says:
Great idea!!!! Great photos, thanks for sharing!
Christy says:
Note: do not use the black sponge brushes for this. Little flecks can come off and get stuck on your surface. Chose the paint brushes at Michaels with the clear bristles (they kind of look white, and mine have purple handles) that way of a stray brush hair gets stuck in the glue, its not noticeable. Learned this the hard way making photo coasters.
Laura says:
I plan to do this with some free printable Christmas subway art. I am loving mod podge!
Caitlin says:
This is too cute!! I want to do it right now!!!
Jen P says:
Anyone know the best place to get prints made up besides Costco? I don’t have a membership there and I don’t like how Walmarts photos are printed.
angelahoang12 says:
Ya! 2 great ideas in one. Never thought of using the soda can tab.
angelahoang12 says:
Honestly Artscow.com has really great quality prints. Ordered the same size print from Walgreens then Artscow, and Artscow was better all around. Just takes awhile to ship.
Feikee says:
thank you so much for sharing this, i was about to spend $40 on one in wal-mart! sure will try this!
barbee decker says:
I did this a few years ago on plain white tiles from Lowes to make photo coasters for the grandparents. I used sticky back cork-board on the back. The small white tiles were really cheap. My hubby is pretty crafty too & he made a small wooden holder for them to go in. Everyone loved them!
Mary says:
Laura why didn’t you link your blog. I would love to see other projects you have done,
Laura - Make Life Lovely says:
Thanks Mary, here’s my link! I thought you could click on my name to take you there. I was wrong, haha.
http://www.makelifelovely.com
MommySpendsLess says:
I bet this would work with nature photos too… And there’s a website out there with free, high resolution, semi-professional pictures. I’ll update when I remember what it is…
Beth says:
This is exactly what I was thinking…Commenting so that if you remember I will get a notification
cathy says:
I would like to know as well.
jessica says:
I love making these, I have an entire wall in my daughters room done all different sizes. Michaels recently had their canvases 70% off, I bought a 22×28 for $5, I also buy canvases from bealls outlet when they go 95% off, usually about .25-.35 cents each. I usually have no more then $3-$4 in each canvas
the 22×28 I will have less then $15 in it after I get pic printed to put on it 
amyloo614 says:
This idea is fantastic. We just got married 11-16, and I was hoping for a good canvas deal for wedding pics, but this is even better! We bought 2 black canvases and had people sign them with metallic sharpies in place of a guest book, so I guess I’m off to Michael’s to buy more!
Maria says:
Amazon idea! Thank you So much.