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DIY Photo Canvas That Looks Exactly Like The Real Thing

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A few weeks ago I shared my photo canvas failure – it basically looked like a photo stuck to the front of a canvas.  And done poorly at that!  Well, I was determined to make another DIY photo canvas and get it right this time.

I read many of the DIY photo canvas tutorials already out there, but I found two factors that kept most of them from looking like the real thing.

  1. The photos were simply glued to the front of the canvas; they didn’t wrap around the canvas which is one of the most awesome parts.
  2. The photos did not have that authentic canvas texture.

These two things really kept most of the DIY versions I saw from looking like the real thing.  The photo canvases you can buy look amazing – like genuine works of art.  They just happen to be way out of my budget.  Even when you find an awesome deal, once you factor in shipping they cost a ton.  And of course who wants to get just one?  Which means the money adds up even more.

I am super excited to tell you I figured out how to make a DIY photo canvas that is both wrapped and textured like the real thing for only ten bucks each!

diy photo canvas that looks real with wrapped edges and canvas texture

 

This post contains affiliate links.  See my full disclosure here.

DIY photo canvas materials

Materials for DIY Photo Canvas

    • A Poster Print of your photo – make sure to get a poster print, not a photo enlargement.  If given the choice between matte and glossy finish, choose matte.  Your photo needs to be at least two inches longer and two inches wider than your canvas.
    • A canvas.  Amazon has some great deals on packs of blank canvases or you can always use an old painted canvas that you no longer want.
    • Matte Mod Podge
    • A Foam Brush
    • Duct Tape
    • Scrap of Canvas Fabric
    • Optional – a brayer (This is a helpful little roller for smoothing things you mod-podge).

making a DIY photo canvas

With your foam brush, spread a layer of Mod-podge all over the front of your canvas.  Center your photo on top of the canvas and press it to the canvas with your fingers (or if you have one with the brayer.  It turns out this little tool comes in handy way more often than I would have thought – especially for anything involving mod podge.)

Turn the canvas over and press along the underside of the canvas to make sure the photo is adhered.  Let the mod podge dry thoroughly and then use your fingers to wrap your photo around the edges of the canvas.  Sharpen the creases with your fingers.

DIY wrapped photo canvas

With your foam brush, brush mod podge onto one of the canvas sides.  Fold the photo up and duct tape it to the back of the canvas one side at a time.  When you come to the corners, simply fold the corner in similar to if you were wrapping a present.  You now have your wrapped photo canvas.  Phase one complete!

DIY Wrapped Photo Canvas- Phase One

Now if you choose, you can stop right here.  It actually looks pretty cool just like this and I almost stopped at this point myself.  My canvas was looking really good and I was afraid of messing it up.  But, since my goal for the year is to not be afraid of failure, I decided to go for it and add texture.

Adding canvas texture to a DIY photo canvas

To add real canvas texture to your photo canvas: use your foam brush to brush a thin layer of mod podge onto the front of your canvas.  As quickly as possible, press your fabric onto the top of your canvas.  Either smooth it with your brayer or your fingers for a few seconds and then remove the fabric.  I used a scrap of canvas fabric; drop cloth would also work well.  Just know, that once your fabric has been in the mod podge, you won’t be able to use it for anything else.  Once you remove the fabric, if there are any little fuzzies or threads on your photo canvas, carefully remove them with tweezers.

I found it to be easiest to allow the front of the photo to dry and then do each of the sides separately.

Once the mod podge has fully dried, if you aren’t really happy with how it looks, you can simply brush on another thin layer of mod podge and repeat the process.  I am a total perfectionist so I ended up redoing this part about three times.  The first two times, I missed a few areas when pressing the fabric.

DIY Photo Canvas with Real Canvas Texture

And now you have a just-like-the-real-thing, fool-your-own-mama knock-off wrapped photo canvas!

 

DIY photo canvas

 

And if you aren’t sure if you want to go for the texture or not, here is a comparison of two canvases.  One that has already been textured and one that hasn’t.

 

DIY photo canvas with and without texture

I made these canvases to fit in a particular spot so I used 11 x 14 poster prints and 9 x 12 canvases. I can’t wait to make a really huge canvas using this method.  And if you are really looking to get some bang for your buck, you can save by reusing the canvas from an old painting you no longer want (like I did on my first failed attempt at this).  And be sure to look for deals on your poster prints – online photo printing stores often run sales up to 50% off.  I’ve gotten all of my poster prints from the Walgreens photo lab and had great results.

I am so excited I was able to turn my failure into a resounding success!  If you are thinking about giving this a try, be sure to check out my failure too for lots of tips on what not to do and this update for answers to frequently asked questions and more tips for making your own DIY photo canvas.

Want to remember this project?  Pin it to Pinterest so you can find it later:

DIY photo canvases that look just like the real thing with real canvas texture and gallery wrapped edges. Make your own diy photo canvases for less than $10 in one hour.

Want more ideas for displaying your family photos?  Here are a few of my favorites:

How to transfer photos to wood

How-To-Transfer-Photos-to-Wood1-696x800

7 Beautiful and Creative Ways to Display Vacation Photos

vacation photo displays

DIY Photo Display

diy photo display

diy photo display

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Comments

    • Thanks Kim, Good question. I guess the final cost varies depending on if you have to buy mod podge and a brush. I already had those on hand. I got two canvases at Michaels when they were buy one get one free so they were around $4 each. My photo poster prints were 55% off so they were around 4.50 each counting shipping. So my actual cost was $9 each (if you throw in a little money for the Mod Podge used). If you bought the supplies at regular price, this would definitely be more expensive! Looking online, the absolute cheapest 9 x 12 photo canvases I saw were $16 each, but shipping was an additional $13, making the total $29. And the savings would be even more with a larger size.

      Reply

  7. hi carrie,

    that really looks like professionally done ♥ i really love the texture that you gave it, although if i were to do it i would probably be scared to use a fabric on the picture with mod podge! but girl that really looks stunning!

    i have a question though, where did you get your poster print?
    found you at the SITSgirls, huggies♥
    rea

    Reply

    • Thanks! I was a little afraid that adding the texture would mess the whole thing up but it ended up working beautifully. I got my poster print from Snapfish. In the past I have also gotten them from Shutterfly and even Walgreens online photo center. I always look for sales!

      Reply

  8. Carrie these look great. I will definitely be doing this soon. I tried to do a photo transfer with medium and I consider it a total bust. I much prefer using the modpodge! Thanks for the inspiration and the tutorial! Have a great week! Shaunna

    Reply

  15. Hi there! I love this and have been searrching everywhere for a tutorial that actually looks like the real thing. But.. I cannot find where on Shutterfly to get poster prints…All their posters are collages. :( Help!

    Reply

  16. Love this tutorial! I have been wanting to do this with some wedding picture, now I’ll have to try! Thanks for sharing! #SITSBlogging

    Reply

  17. Wow! How beautifully your canvases turned out!! Your tutorial totally made it look doable! I really want to try a huge one for my living room. Thanks for sharing! xx #sitsblogging

    Reply

  18. This is just what I was looking for! I have been wanting to do this with pictures of my boys for ages…Thanks for making it look so attainable!

    ~Ariean

    P.S. I’m featuring this Amazing idea in my round-up tomorrow morning from the Hit Me With Your Best Shot Link Party! :)

    Reply

  25. This is an amazing tutorial. I’m really glad I seen this and will def. be using this in a couple of weeks when starting our gallery wall of photo canvas’. THANK YOU! :)

    And, beautiful pictures too! *thumbs up*

    Reply

  26. Thanks for the awesome tutorial! I used your directions for my project yesterday and the texture part at the end absolutely made the look!

    Reply

  27. What size piece of fabric did you use for the texture? Does it have to be a certain kind of fabric. Does getting the pic as a poster make it easier to to fold around the sides. I’ve been looking for the right tutorial to help get my gallery wall going and I have definately found it because they look like you had them done professionally. You go girl!!

    Reply

    • LaJune, glad you enjoyed my tutorial! And, yes, they really do look professional in person. I used a piece of fabric that was as big as my canvas but you could also use a smaller scap and just do one section at a time. The fabric needs to have a canvas like texture – you can use a small piece of canvas fabric, outdoor fabric, or even most dropcloths. Alternatively, if you have an extra stretched canvas, you can also press that onto it to do the texture. And the poster definitely helps make the folding easier. Poster prints are much thinner than regular photos. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  30. Thank you so much for sharing this project, I found it yesterday and have already bought pics and canvases for it!! (I’m very impatiently waiting for them to arrive!!) Hoping to make Christmas gifts out of them!! One question- if you use the canvas/ drop cloth to make the texture on top can you use it more than once? Thanks again so much, the way you make these includes everything i want them to be

    Reply

    • Awesome Jess! I hope they turn out awesome! I found that I could reuse the canvas/fabric more than once as long as it was still damp. (It gets damp from being pressed into the mod podge). Once it fully dried, it was hard to reuse it because the mod podge made it stiff.

      Reply

  31. I have tried this several times using all the same supplies and every time my poster bubbles and there are creases all over. Every canvas I’ve done I have had to throw away. What am I doing wrong?!?

    Reply

    • Kelly, Oh no! I hate to hear that. I had no bubbling problems when I tried this but another commenter reported the same thing. I am going to have to do this project again and try to figure out what is going wrong.

      Reply

  32. Hi Carrie,

    Love your instructions on canvas photos! I am starting to make these and love your ideas on wrapping the photos. I made the ones where you paint the edge of the canvas too :( – not the quality I like! So am making one with wrapped edges from a poster print too, They look just as good as the one you purchase and pay 3x the price!
    Thanks for your great tips!

    ~~Canvas by Crystal ~~

    Reply

  33. Fabric works great for added texture!!! Tried another canvas on top and ruined my project!!! Good job and thanks for the tips!

    Reply

    • Thanks Ahmad. I’m sorry your project got ruined but I swear by the fabric tip – it really works! Thanks for leaving feedback!

      Reply

  34. I just made a photo canvas per your instructions and it turned out beautifully! So impressive, looks just like the real thing! Thanks so much for the great tutorial!

    Reply

    • My canvases are fairly small – I used 11 x 14 posters and 9 x 12 canvases. But you can use any size as long as your photos are a few inches larger than your canvas (to give you some extra to wrap around the edges).

      Reply

  36. Thank you so much for your tutorial! I just finished a 20×30 canvas, it’s look awesome! I’m so happy w/ the finished project. I used the foam brush only for 1st layer, but didn’t like it. So I tried the canvas fabric on 2nd layer & love it! Btw, didn’t have a brayer.. So I used rolling pin (hahaa).. works great! :-)

    Thanks again!!

    Reply

    • Hannah, so glad it turned out great for you too! And love the rolling pin in place of a brayer – smart thinking!

      Reply

  37. I could not figure out what bugged me so much about all the diy canvas tutorials I’ve seen…THE WRAPAROUND. Big DUH moment, thank you. This really looks awesome. Glad I put off my project until I saw this post. Even if I am late to the party!

    Reply

    • Thanks Cathleen – I know it is a small thing but I think the wrapping makes such a big difference!

      Reply

  38. I justhink picked up my poster prints from walgreens but they seem to be the same as photo paper. Would I be able to tell a huge difference between the poster print and an enlargement? Maybe they made a mistake?

    Reply

    • Chelsey, The difference between photo enlargements and poster prints is subtle. The poster prints are on thinner paper – they are able to be rolled up like a poster. Also, the poster prints are not as glossy as photos on photo paper. If your poster prints are large, I would bet they are on poster paper – I don’t think they have photo paper that large. Good luck with your canvases!

      Reply

  39. I love DIY crafts . I do them all the time . This is one I’ve been wanting to try. Family and I just moved have lots of wall space to add family photos and this is what im doing.

    Reply

    • I would probably just go with 11×14 for an 8×10. Only a small section around the edges won’t be seen once you wrap it. If you are worried about losing too much of the photo’s border, you can add a small white border in first for free at picmonkey.com.

      Reply

  41. Thanks for your tute! I just completed my version of this. Thanks to a coupon for the poster print and a sale for the canvas, this project only cost me $12. I stapled my back instead of using tape. I will do this again, since my picture was off center.

    THANK YOU!

    Reply

  42. Don’t the surface of your portrait got sticky? I know that mod podge normality dry sticky to the touch. Do that happen to your lookalike canvas?

    Reply

    • Great question Mildred. Mine didn’t dry sticky at all. Maybe the fact I used matte mod podge helped with that – I’m not really sure. I just know it feels dry to the touch!

      Reply

  43. Great tutorial! Thank you! One question: do you think that adding the canvas texture to the poster as first step, before mounting it on the canvas, could create problems when folding? I think would be easier to add the texture for the other sides by making it on the full picture before folding. What do you think?

    Reply

    • Emanuele, Good question. I haven’t tried it that way but I think it would probably end up being more difficult. When the texture dries, it makes the photo more stiff and probably would make it more difficult to wrap. It also might crack at the corners when you fold it.

      Reply

    • Thanks Kate! I left the tape on the back. If you don’t like the look of the tape, you can use a nicer tape – I love white duct tape for this. Or you can use staples instead if you have a little more wiggle room than I had.

      Reply

  46. I can’t wait to try this!!! I went on Walgreen’s website and they are having a sale at the moment!!! Problem is they only offer a satin finish on the poster paper. Will that still work? What’s the difference between using a matte finish and a satin/glossy finish?

    Reply

    • Yay for sales! I think satin finish on the poster paper will be fine. The main thing is to avoid glossy finish which is mostly used for actual photo enlargements. The glossy finish is way too glossy and the paper is too thick. But a satin poster should be safe – satin is way less shiny than a glossy finish.

      Reply

  47. I tried a small frame without using the canvas at the end. It really looks good with the mod-podge as the finish.
    I’ve ordered two poster prints from WG’s at BOGO. Can’t wait to pick them up and try your suggestions.
    Thanks, your tutorial is what I’ve been looking for.

    Reply

  48. Hi, Carrie

    I picked up my “poster” prints from WG’s. While they are pretty, I was expecting them to be on thinner paper not regular photo paper. I guess poster refers to size? They are going to be more difficult to bend over my canvas. Any suggestions? And is there anyway to have prints on a thinner product?

    Thanks,
    Diane

    Reply

    • Hi Diane, that is strange. Every time I have ordered poster prints from Walgreens, they were on poster paper – similar to the paper used for any poster. Definitely not nearly as thick as a regular photo. It sounds like something went wrong. I would doublecheck that you ordered a poster print and not an ‘enlargement’ which is just a big photo. If so, they may have just made a mistake and printed it on the wrong paper. In that case I would politely call and ask them to redo it. I wonder if someone thought they were doing you a favor by using the thicker paper? Or just didn’t really know what they were doing. Sorry and good luck!

      Reply

      • Hi, Carrie, thanks for your quick reply. My sweet hubbie helped me fold the corners. My project came out beautiful.
        I did go back to WG, and the nice person said that the thicker paper was always used. I have the second photo to use for my next canvas. When I order again, I’ll be more careful.

        One step I took, I measured the edges of the frame and then outlined the front on the back of the picture. I then wiped the mod on the paper itself and pressed the frame down on the outline. I was scarred of getting it off-center. Hope this makes sense.

        Reply

        • I am glad it worked out! Good tip about outlining it first so everything lines up well – thanks for sharing!

          Reply

  49. Just wondering what type of paper this was printed on…in other words can you just print your document yourself on regular office paper on your inkjet?

    Reply

    • Hi Carol, I really don’t think this would work if you print it off yourself. Regular office paper is too thin and would be a terribly wrinkly mess. And depending on what kind of printer you use, the ink might also run. You could always do some experimenting but I had my photos printed as poster prints and they worked great that way. Good luck!

      Reply

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