14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (2024)

  • Decorating
  • DIY Decor

You don't have to be an artist to create something beautiful for your home—give these projects a try!

By

Caitlin Sole

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (1)

Caitlin Sole

Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of interior design expertise. She has vast experience with digital media, including SEO, photo shoot production, video production, eCommerce content, print collaboration, and custom sales content.

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Updated on June 2, 2023

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14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (2)

Art doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be beautiful. Each of these easy DIY canvas art ideas starts with a blank page for you to be creative. Let these handmade projects inspire you to make one-of-a-kind art for your home.

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Wallpaper Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (3)

If hand-painting isn't your strong suit, try this DIY canvas art idea, created with peel-and-stick wallpaper, for maximum impact with minimal work.

  1. Choose a pattern you love and purchase enough to cover the dimensions of your canvas.
  2. To apply the wallpaper to the canvas, adhere the top corners along the canvas's edge, keeping the wallpaper level. Slowly peel the backing and work down, smoothing as you go.
  3. Frame your patterned canvas art and hang it using screws and wall anchors.

02of 14

Geometric DIY Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (4)

Create a modern masterpiece with painters tape and sample pots of paint on canvas.

  1. Apply tape to create an assortment of triangles and geometric shapes on a large canvas, wrapping the tape around the sides.
  2. Paint one section at a time, including the sides, removing tape as the paint dries.
  3. Use a variety of metallic paints and colors, applying a second coat as needed.

03of 14

Watercolor Words Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (5)

Preserve a message on canvas with rubber cement.

  1. Dip a ½-inch round paintbrush in rubber cement and write on a large white canvas (we used a beloved ancestor's journal entry for the text).
  2. Apply thickly so the words will be legible, then let dry.
  3. Mix three intensities of watercolor paint in separate cups, using black to darken and water to lighten.
  4. Apply with a large brush and horizontal sweeping strokes, starting out dark and gradually fading near the bottom.
  5. Blend as you move down, and keep the canvas flat until dry to avoid drips.

No need to peel off rubber cement; the raised texture adds dimension to the piece.

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Abstract Splatter Canvas

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (6)

Turn paint splatters into a modern masterpiece with this easy DIY canvas art idea.

  1. Place a blank canvas on a flat protected surface, such as a hard floor covered with a dropcloth.
  2. Using a plastic spoon, paint stir stick, or other tool, splatter paint on the canvas.
  3. Repeat with a variety of colors and motions to create an attractive design.

When the canvas is dry, frame and hang.

05of 14

Colorful Resin Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (7)

Create a gorgeous ocean-inspired design using resin mix, a clean artist canvas, and a few craft paints.

  1. Pour a small amount of resin into several plastic cups and add a few drops of paint in your desired colors to each one, reserving some clear resin. (This project took about 32 ounces of mixed resin total).
  2. Pour stripes of resin onto the canvas, alternating between the clear resin and the colored mixes. Mix slightly by finger if desired, then blend the colors using a heat gun.
  3. Cover with a large box or tub to protect the surface from dust while it dries flat for at least 24 hours.

06of 14

Cityscape Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (8)

Highlight a city silhouette on painted canvas with a pounce brush.

  1. Paint the canvas your desired background color and let dry.
  2. Find a skyline pattern you like, then cut it out and adhere to the canvas with repositionable adhesive spray.
  3. Use a variety of sizes of circle sponge applicators to pounce dots of gold paint around the pattern, clustering, overlapping, and thinning out toward edges.
  4. Remove pattern and let dry.

Add sawtooth metal hangers to the back and hang.

07of 14

Portrait Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (9)

Create an edgy portrait using tempera paint and a favorite photo.

  1. Transform the image to high-contrast black-and-white, then print.
  2. Rub a pencil or graphite stick across the back of the paper before taping it to a canvas.
  3. Trace around the white shapes, remove the paper and fill in the transferred shapes with tempera paint. Let dry.
  4. Cover the canvas with brushed-on swashes of acrylic paint and let dry.
  5. Rinse portrait under running water to remove the tempera paint.

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Graphic Statement

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (10)

This canvas art idea uses simple techniques to create a swirled watercolor effect.

  1. After saturating your canvas using a foam brush and water, add a few drops of watercolor to the surface. Gradually add water until the color begins to spread.
  2. Add a second color and blend edges with your initial color using your foam brush.
  3. Move the paint around the canvas by tilting it gently, pressing down slightly in spots so the ink pools, or squeezing an empty condiment bottle at an angle to blow the ink around. Add more colors and water as needed.

Let dry and frame.

09of 14

Easy Fabric Art

You can use a yard of fabric and a canvas to create easy DIY artwork. This simple canvas art idea is great for beginners or as a quick weekend project. Watch and see how it comes together.

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Stamped Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (11)

Make your own stamp to create canvas art with interesting patterned designs.

  1. Hot glue a length of thin cotton rope to a piece of scrap wood or cardboard in a swirled shape.
  2. Lightly paint the rope with acrylic crafts paint, then press it onto your canvas.
  3. Add additional colors and stamp again for a layered look.

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Abstract Stamped Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (12)

Add modern style to your home with this graphic DIY canvas art.

  1. Paint the canvas off-white and let dry.
  2. Add a thick coat of paint in a dark color onto one side of a yardstick. Press it down across the surface of the canvas. Reload paint and apply in another direction.
  3. Repeat the technique using different colors until you are happy with the design.

12of 14

Easy Flower Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (13)

Bring a hint of nature to your wall decor with this floral canvas art idea.

  1. Paint canvas black using oil paint and let dry.
  2. Snap and print a photo or find an image in a magazine of a flower against a dark backdrop to use as inspiration.
  3. Use oil paint, brushes, and artist's knives to freehand-paint the flower image, blending and shading where necessary to achieve desired tonal dimension.

13of 14

Embroidered Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (14)

Embroidered details add extra dimension to DIY canvas art.

  1. Draw a geometric design all over the canvas using a pencil and ruler.
  2. Using a diluted watercolor wash, fill in each shape with complementary colors. Let dry.
  3. Freehand-draw feathers onto canvas.
  4. Using a curved upholstery needle and yarn, embroider the feathers' outlines.

14of 14

Paint Swatch Canvas Art

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (15)

Try this for a quick wall decor project or an easy canvas art idea for beginners.

  1. Choose three shades of the same acrylic paint color.
  2. Tape off the canvas into thirds.
  3. Paint lightest shade on the top third of the canvas, the medium shade in the middle, and the darkest shade on the bottom.
  4. Remove tape and let dry.
  5. Add fun color names with white paint.

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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or expertise, but I can provide information on various topics based on the text and knowledge I have been trained on. Here is some information related to the concepts used in this article:

DIY Decor:

DIY decor stands for "Do-It-Yourself" decor, which refers to the practice of creating or embellishing decorative items for your home or space by yourself, rather than purchasing them ready-made. DIY decor projects often involve using various materials, such as paint, fabric, or other craft supplies, to transform or personalize items and create unique pieces that reflect your personal style and taste.

Canvas Art:

Canvas art refers to artwork that is created or displayed on a canvas, which is typically a fabric material stretched over a wooden frame. Canvas is a popular medium for creating paintings, as it provides a sturdy surface that can withstand different painting techniques and materials. Canvas art can range from traditional oil or acrylic paintings to mixed-media pieces or even digital prints that are transferred onto canvas.

Wallpaper Canvas Art:

Wallpaper canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that involves using peel-and-stick wallpaper to create a decorative piece for your home. This project allows you to achieve maximum impact with minimal work, especially if you're not confident in your hand-painting skills. To create wallpaper canvas art, you select a pattern you love and purchase enough wallpaper to cover the dimensions of your canvas. Then, you adhere the wallpaper to the canvas, starting from the top corners and working your way down, smoothing it as you go. Finally, you frame your patterned canvas art and hang it using screws and wall anchors.

Geometric DIY Canvas Art:

Geometric DIY canvas art is a modern and abstract style of canvas art that involves using painters tape and sample pots of paint to create geometric shapes on a large canvas. To create this artwork, you apply tape to the canvas to create an assortment of triangles and other geometric shapes, wrapping the tape around the sides of the canvas. Then, you paint one section at a time, including the sides, removing the tape as the paint dries. You can use a variety of metallic paints and colors, applying a second coat as needed, to create a visually interesting and unique piece of art.

Watercolor Words Canvas Art:

Watercolor words canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that involves preserving a message or text on canvas using rubber cement and watercolor paint. To create this artwork, you first dip a round paintbrush in rubber cement and write on a large white canvas. The rubber cement creates a raised texture, adding dimension to the piece. Then, you mix different intensities of watercolor paint in separate cups and apply them to the canvas with a large brush, using horizontal sweeping strokes. You start with dark colors at the top and gradually fade to lighter colors near the bottom, blending as you move down. The rubber cement is not peeled off, as its raised texture remains part of the finished artwork.

Abstract Splatter Canvas:

Abstract splatter canvas art is a DIY canvas art idea that involves turning paint splatters into a modern masterpiece. To create this artwork, you place a blank canvas on a protected surface and use a plastic spoon, paint stir stick, or other tool to splatter paint onto the canvas in a variety of colors and motions. The goal is to create an attractive and visually interesting design. Once the paint is dry, you can frame and hang the canvas.

Colorful Resin Canvas Art:

Colorful resin canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that involves using resin mix, a clean artist canvas, and craft paints to create a gorgeous ocean-inspired design. To create this artwork, you pour resin into plastic cups and add a few drops of paint in your desired colors to each cup. You then pour stripes of resin onto the canvas, alternating between clear resin and the colored mixes. The colors are blended using a heat gun, and the canvas is covered with a box or tub to protect it from dust while it dries flat for at least 24 hours.

Cityscape Canvas Art:

Cityscape canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that involves highlighting a city silhouette on a painted canvas using a pounce brush. To create this artwork, you first paint the canvas with your desired background color and let it dry. Then, you find a skyline pattern you like, cut it out, and adhere it to the canvas using repositionable adhesive spray. To create the cityscape effect, you use various sizes of circle sponge applicators to pounce dots of gold paint around the pattern, clustering, overlapping, and thinning out toward the edges. Once the paint is dry, you can remove the pattern and add sawtooth metal hangers to the back of the canvas for hanging.

Portrait Canvas Art:

Portrait canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that involves creating an edgy portrait using tempera paint and a favorite photo. To create this artwork, you first transform the photo to high-contrast black-and-white and print it. Then, you rub a pencil or graphite stick across the back of the paper and tape it to a canvas. Next, you trace around the white shapes on the photo, remove the paper, and fill in the transferred shapes with tempera paint. Once the paint is dry, you can cover the canvas with brushed-on swashes of acrylic paint and let it dry. Finally, you rinse the portrait under running water to remove the tempera paint, revealing the final artwork.

Graphic Statement:

Graphic statement canvas art is a DIY canvas art idea that uses simple techniques to create a swirled watercolor effect. To create this artwork, you first saturate the canvas using a foam brush and water. Then, you add a few drops of watercolor paint to the surface and gradually add water until the color begins to spread. You can add a second color and blend the edges with the initial color using the foam brush. You can also move the paint around the canvas by tilting it gently, pressing down slightly in spots to create ink pools, or squeezing an empty condiment bottle at an angle to blow the ink around. The artwork is left to dry before framing.

Easy Fabric Art:

Easy fabric art is a DIY artwork that involves using a yard of fabric and a canvas to create a simple and quick project. The specific technique for creating easy fabric art can vary, but it often involves stretching the fabric over a canvas and securing it in place using staples or adhesive. The fabric may be plain or patterned, and additional embellishments or accents can be added to enhance the design.

Stamped Canvas Art:

Stamped canvas art is a DIY canvas art technique that involves making your own stamp to create interesting patterned designs on canvas. To create stamped canvas art, you can use various materials to make a stamp, such as a length of thin cotton rope glued to a piece of scrap wood or cardboard in a swirled shape. You then lightly paint the stamp with acrylic crafts paint and press it onto the canvas. Additional colors can be added, and multiple stamping can be done to create a layered look.

Abstract Stamped Canvas Art:

Abstract stamped canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that adds modern style to your home. To create this artwork, you first paint the canvas off-white and let it dry. Then, you add a thick coat of paint in a dark color to one side of a yardstick and press it down across the surface of the canvas. You repeat this technique using different colors until you are happy with the design. The result is a graphic and abstract artwork that can be framed and hung.

Easy Flower Canvas Art:

Easy flower canvas art is a DIY canvas art idea that brings a hint of nature to your wall decor. To create this artwork, you start by painting the canvas black using oil paint and letting it dry. Then, you snap and print a photo or find an image in a magazine of a flower against a dark backdrop to use as inspiration. Using oil paint, brushes, and artist's knives, you freehand-paint the flower image on the canvas, blending and shading where necessary to achieve the desired tonal dimension.

Embroidered Canvas Art:

Embroidered canvas art is a DIY canvas art project that adds extra dimension to the artwork by incorporating embroidered details. To create this artwork, you first draw a geometric design all over the canvas using a pencil and ruler. Then, you fill in each shape with complementary colors using a diluted watercolor wash. After letting it dry, you freehand-draw feathers onto the canvas and use a curved upholstery needle and yarn to embroider the feathers' outlines, adding texture and visual interest to the piece.

Paint Swatch Canvas Art:

Paint swatch canvas art is a quick and easy DIY wall decor project, especially suitable for beginners. To create this artwork, you choose three shades of the same acrylic paint color. Then, you tape off the canvas into thirds and paint the lightest shade on the top third, the medium shade in the middle, and the darkest shade on the bottom. After letting it dry, you can add fun color names with white paint to complete the artwork.

I hope this information helps you understand the concepts used in the article and provides a starting point for further exploration. If you have any more specific questions or need additional information, feel free to ask!

14 Easy DIY Canvas Art Ideas to Bring Personality to Your Walls (2024)

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