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How to Make Your Own Canvas

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Learn how to make your own canvas. It can be fun and save you some money too.


Materials to make your own canvas!

The first step when making your very own canvas for painting is to grab your supplies!

You will need:

  • Canvas Material
  • 4 Stretcher Bars (Have all 4 bars to be the same size for a square and have 2 bars one size and two bars another for a rectangle.)
  • Hammer (or mallet)
  • Staple Gun
  • Scissors.

You can follow the steps or watch the video at end of this lesson to see how to stretch your canvas.

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1. Assemble Frame
Once you have all of your materials, begin by pushing the stretcher bars together. If you find the bars difficult to push together, use your hammer and gently tap the bars together.

Make your own canvas - stretcher bars.

2. Cut Canvas to Size
Next, place your stretcher bars on top of your canvas material and measure out how much you'll need. Cut off what you don't need.

Make your own canvas - trimming the canvas

3. Stretch Canvas and Staple
Now it's time to stretch the canvas material over the stretcher bars. Pull one side over and staple it to the bar. Then turn the canvas over and pul the canvas material tightly, pull it over, and staple to the other side. Repeat this step on the opposite sides.

Make your own canvas - stapling the canvas

4. Finish Corners
After you have staple the sides, carefully fold the fabric over the corners and staple the as well.

Make your own canvas - finishing the corners

That's it! You're finished! Congratulations! Enjoy painting on your very own canvas. Don't forget to prime it. :)

Check out this video to learn how to prime your canvas

Priming a Canvas with Pamela Wang

Jump to Pamela's next lesson How to Prime Canvas

Have Fun Painitng!

How to make your own canvas at about.com

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