Oh my goodness. That took longer than expected...
This project was a whole lot of trial and error. It started with a gross old canvas salvaged from my grandfather's garage and a love of a really long quote...
I was originally inspired by my oh my!'s wood stained paintings found here. But 1) I didn't want to get all messy with staining wood, 2) I don't think my handwriting would end up nearly as pretty as hers, and 3) guaranteed I would end up spelling a word wrong. So I decided to do it my own way (I take after my dad...who needs directions?) Three weeks later, I finally have the finished project. Next time, I'm trying a photo transfer process instead of painting-I have a feeling it would take an afternoon, not a month!
1. Gather your supplies- masking tape, canvas, black paint, paintbrush, carbon paper (found in packages at Staples or in sheets at your local art supply shop), ballpoint pen, and a printed copy of your quote. I went to Kinko's and had them print it the size I wanted, which ended up being 2 feet x 3 feet, and it cost around $4.
2. Tape your printed copy of the quote to the top of your canvas and place the carbon paper underneath it, touching the canvas itself. Use a ballpoint pen to trace the letters- you'll see the outline of the letters transferred onto the canvas. Don't worry about being super precise; once you go over it in paint, it won't matter if you didn't trace the letters exactly.
3. Start filling the letters in! Of course, I had to pick one of the longest quotes known to mankind, so it took me forever and a day to finish. Well, that and I tend to get distracted easily...
4. Find a helper to keep you company.
Ta da! A completely unique, just-for-you, piece of wall decor.
