How To Make Stunning Canvas Photos – These Rock!

I love these photos with their vibrant colours, grainy effects and rocking photoshop possibilities. Writing this tutorial was special for me. I put it together with my twin sister, Emma Mill (Binns). Hmm Hmm, I would just like to mention here that I am the eldest by seven minutes (does anybody care?). Emma made a gorgeous canvas photo for my daughter for her birthday and I have been wanting to learn how.

Here is a canvas made by Emma Mill, a photo in a series of her husband surfing. I love this.

canvas-photo-9.jpg

Now. join the Binns Twins (cute eh?) to make your first canvas photo…

You will need:

1 canvas (cheap as to buy from any craft store – $4 we paid) 8 inch x 10 inch

At least 50cm white 100% cotton material

1 photo printed out onto photo transfer paper (we used Canon photo transfers)

1 pair scissors

1 iron

1 staple gun (my new favourite weapon of choice, imagine if we carried staple guns instead of a pepper spray, that’d show ‘em)

canvas-photo-1.jpg

Step 1

Take the canvas and cut out material to fit it leaving a 3 inch border around the edge.

canvas-photo-3.jpg

Step 2

Upload a photo to your computer, resize to fit the canvas or you could leave a little border like we did here.

Print out the photo in black and white or colour.

Iron the print onto the cotton fabric.

When you have ironed it wave it around for minute or two before ripping the back off to make sure it has dried.

canvas-photo-5.jpg

Step 3

After a few minutes, peal off the transfer and marvel at the wonders of the computer age!
canvas-photo-6.jpg

Step 4

Position the transfer on top of the canvas and make sure that it is correctly centred.

canvas-photo-7.jpg

Step 5

Carefully turn the canvas over, holding the cotton transfer in place.

Pull it taut and staple two staples on either side of the frame.

Then staple two more staples at the top and the bottom of the frame.

canvas-photo-8.jpg

Step 6

Now I am not going to mess with you, this is not Martha and we can just be human ok – this part is a little fiddly and chances are the back won’t look all that great on your first effort.  Don’t worry, people only see the front anyway.

Fold the corners in, like folding a present.

Then staple them down to the frame.  Make sure that you are pulling the fabric taut and watch for buckling.

Do this to all four corners.
canvas-photo-11.jpg
canvas-photo-12.jpg

Step 7

Cut away the extra fabric on the back.  Time to tidy it up a little.

canvas-photo-13.jpg

Step 8

Staple the edges down into the middle of the frame.  This is also a little tricky so just take your time.  Don’t be scared it only really rates about a two on the tricky scale.

canvas-photo-14.jpg

Ta – Da!  Your finished canvas from the back.

canvas-photo-15.jpg

Turn it over – and here’s a gorgeous photo of my little nephew, Charile.

canvas-photo-16.jpg

Looks wonderful on the mantle piece!

canvas-photo.jpg

HOT TIP:

You can upload your image to Photoshop and do some way out things to it.  It can end up looking like some very cool Popart or a retro pattern.  Try all the different filters.  I intend to make some really funky ones in the near future.

We hope you enjoy making these,

Emma and Mia

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thanks for the tutorial. Now I have something in mind that I want to do. ehehehe…. All i need now is to find a stapler gun.

This is so cool,I love it! I am definitely going to try it! I am a twin, too…youngest by 3 minutes!

oh i love this idea…christmas present ideas are already starting…

Oooooh, this is cool. I can’t wait to try this! I’ve always wanted to have some kind of canvas art on my walls, and now I can – and not pay lots! Thank you for the turorial!

argh! I mean “tutorial”. *blush*

Great idea for cool personalised presents (and reasonably priced too). Thanks for the tutorial!!!

This is great! Another option is to use fabric sheets that go through your printer or iron freezer paper onto an 8 1/2/ x 11 piece of fabric and run it through your printer.

Yeah, we have a tutorial link on this site for using freezer paper, works just as well.
Mia

Did we miss Step 6a – “grow a 3rd hand” ?? weird.

Kidding – this is pretty darn cool. I’m looking through my pictures right now, trying to figure out which ones to do this to.

Ha ha, yeah she didn’t really need me to help but I just couldn’t help but help….
lol
Mia

20 Jan 2007, 8:37pm
by Emma Mill


Hi Mia,
Thanks – the tutorial looks awesome.

Emma

I just had to say what a great tutorial this is! I totally expected the print-on-canvas technique, but this iron-on variation opens some other creative doors.

Love love love the site too!
Keep it up!
nniiccoollee

As soon as the weather warms up a tad I’m off to my supply store to get the materials to give this a try.

oh my god another awesome tutorial! Have to try this one too

*runs off to get supplies*

*running back to computer to finish comment*

Thanks heaps!
Eve

oh what a great idea, I have a box of canvases as I do painting. I think this would be a great idea for my daughters for christmas. A family photo. thanks so much.

i really like this project! im fifteen so i used it as a 4-H fair project. ill let you know how i do! Thanks! =]

19 Jul 2008, 9:43am
by Stephanie


This is amazing! I’m always trying to find something different to do for gifts and people love pictures of my girls. I want to try doing it on black fabric with the dark transfer sheets. I wonder how well it would work?

[...] Canvas Photos: These make interesting photo blocks on canvas that can then be displayed on shelves or wherever you like. Use your printer to print out photos on the canvas, then staple onto a wood frame. Posted on One Hour Craft. [...]

10 Dec 2008, 8:40am
by HootOwlGal


I wonder if you could iron the photo transfer directly onto the canvas? Has anyone tried that?

5 Mar 2009, 9:26pm
by john schorr


ok im completely stupid when it comes to this stuff I always mess it up yeah I’m a guy I admit it. Anyways I find these canvas movie posters at the local blockbuster here and they cost so much. I was wondering exactly how would you go about making a poster into a canvas. Could you use a poster you buy from the store and what do you use to iron the picture onto the cloth. Like I said completely lost to this whole thing could you send me an email and help me out I’d love to put some of my posters on canvas and hang them in my den area.

Well I am thinking off the top of my head. I think the only way to do it would be to take a high quality photograph of the poster and have it made into a canvas at a print shop or to do it this way. I don’t know any other way of making a poster into a canvas. Ideas Anyone else?

20 Mar 2009, 11:53am
by michelle holland


How do you go about it if you want something larger than what your home printer can print. Can you print larger than say legal size paper at copy places using your own photo paper?

Yes I think so. Go and see your local copy place. They can do really amazing things with paper. Of course if you can’t be bothered making this yourself just get your photo and take it to a print shop and get it printed straight onto the canvas!

Canvas photo’s do rock. Thanks for the great tutorial, should be super helpful.

thanks i’m excited to try this!

thanks for posting this pls thank you i am trying to create canvas with my photos i have the xerox printer is that good with the kind of paper you use for the above? Pls email or post a comment here i really need help I want to create nice looking finish work

THanks for the love, glad you like ‘em. Mia

I wonder if you could iron the photo transfer right on the canvas? Any ideas?

I work for a canvas printing company and have to say fair play for your effort. Looks good!

I saw something similar to this on tv…once the canvas was completed some type of stain was brushed over the image to give it a sephia tone. Any ideas on the type of stain to use or the process? It even gave it a “brush painted” look which was pretty cool.

That sounds great! Thanks for the tip.
Mia

9 Jul 2009, 2:32pm
by sharon


Could you use spray adhisive to “glue” the picture to the canvas (to keep it straight, and then staple?

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