Create this wonderful framed canvas piece featuring twinkle lights and Christmas trees. It serves as lovely Christmas decor above your living room couch!
I am truly thrilled to share this big canvas wall art DIY endeavor with you.
Even though this craft is not a speedy or simple undertaking, the process was enjoyable and significantly reduced our expenses!
Continue reading for a complete breakdown of every stage. (Select any section link to navigate there.)
Section 1: Constructing a large canvas art frame.
Section 2: Stretching canvas onto an art frame.
Section 3: Priming art canvas with gesso.
Section 4: Painting simple Christmas tree art using painters tape.
Section 5: Attaching twinkle lights to the canvas back.
DIY Large Stretched Canvas Wall Art for Holiday Decor
Note: This post includes affiliate links for your ease of purchasing items.
Section 1: Constructing a large canvas art frame.
A primary reason for building our own canvas frame was to manage costs.
While ready-made options exist, their price increases substantially with size!
We aimed for a size of 55.5 x 32 inches, which would have cost over $100.00 in Canada.
Our total expenditure was under $10 for the frame and $12.00 for the gesso primer (details on that step follow). I utilized fabric I already possessed.
Do you recall our recent construction of a floating canvas frame for a beautiful piece over our couch?
For this new Christmas wall art, we decided to reuse that floating frame, incorporating our own custom canvas. To achieve this, we removed the existing canvas from the floating frame and bought 1 x 2 inch wood pieces for the new frame.
Follow these steps to build the canvas art frame:
- Shape the wood strips using miter corners to your desired dimensions.
- Test-fit the strips within the floating frame to confirm the fit.
- Apply Wood Glue to each corner, and then
- Secure the corners using a brad nailer.
- 5. Cut two corner angle pieces for extra support. Adhere them into two opposing corners.
- 6. Use a brad nailer to fasten these angles in position.
- Image of the completed canvas art frame
- The completed canvas art frame placed inside the floating frame (to verify proper fit!).
Section 2: Stretching canvas fabric onto an art frame.
I utilized a white canvas curtain panel I already possessed for this stage, though canvas is available for purchase at a fabric shop if you lack any.
Be aware that pre-primed canvas can be bought by the yard for this task; I was unaware of this option when starting, so I primed my standard canvas after stretching it onto the frame.
If you opt for pre-primed canvas, you naturally bypass the priming procedure!
Even after viewing several YouTube tutorials on this process, we initially struggled to stretch the canvas with sufficient tightness.
Consequently, I had to remove all the staples and repeat the stretching attempt.
Numerous YouTube videos detail how to stretch a sizable art canvas, but this one proved extremely useful for us:
Lacking canvas pliers, I employed this gentleman's method, tightening it with my fingers and using my knuckles for support. (It did result in some blisters during this project!;)
Section Three: Priming stretched canvas utilizing gesso.
Before applying paint to your stretched canvas, priming is essential to seal the fabric and stop paint absorption; this step is non-negotiable!
Finding gesso in our town required considerable searching, but I finally located it at an art supply store; you can also order gesso online here.
For two coats on our large canvas, nearly the entire 500 ml bottle of gesso was needed.
To get a thorough guide on priming canvas with gesso, please view this video:
Section Four: Painting Christmas tree art using painter's tape.
With all the preparatory work complete, the enjoyable part can commence!!
Aiming for a Scandinavian-inspired holiday artwork above our couch, I decided to paint simple Christmas tree silhouettes.
Once a design was finalized, I employed painter's tape and adhesive stencil sheets to ensure sharp lines.
Next, I used my Wooster handle less paint brush and latex house paint to apply color over the black paint.
I read that latex house paint is not ideal for professional art, as it 'will not endure 100 years'.
Since this piece isn't intended for historical preservation, I decided to proceed with it!;)
I brushed the paint so that some of the white remained visible, lending a slightly aged appearance.
I painted in small segments, removing the painter's tape while the paint was still slightly tacky to maintain crisp edges.
Section Five: Incorporating timer-controlled twinkle lights behind canvas art.
A year after adding twinkle lights to the rear of our bookcases, I felt inspired to try this again.
It is delightful to see the twinkle lights illuminate during the dim winter evenings!
To incorporate twinkle lights:
- Illuminate the artwork from the front with a flashlight to pinpoint the desired placement for your twinkle lights.
- Affix the lights using either double-sided tape or painters tape; we observed that painters tape yielded the best results.
- Secure the battery packs onto the canvas utilizing double-sided tape.
Since painters tape was visible through the white sections of the canvas, we opted to place the lights on the black painted areas so the twinkle lights would illuminate the white areas.
The heavy-duty double-sided tape provided a strong hold for the battery pack.
Next, activate the twinkle lights on the timer setting for your chosen on-time, then mount the canvas within the floating frame, and display your Christmas Tree Wall Hanging on the wall!
- For instructions on creating a floating frame for a canvas print, please visit this link.
- To learn how to mount a large painting on the wall, click here.
Success achieved!
Savor your creation and the beautiful glow of the twinkle lights after dark;)
Explore more DIY holiday decoration concepts here:
- Wood Christmas Tree Sign crafted with wood slices
- Painted Noel Wreath Christmas Canvas Sign
- Burlap Gift Farmhouse Christmas Shelf Decor
Join our VIP newsletter to instantly gain access to the complete collection of free printables, including these Christmas gift tags. Use the button below to enroll today.
