Welcome to the July Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop {and y’all too} to not just pin, but to make it happen! Look below for a list of past challenges. This month I decided to make an octopus reverse canvas because it looked like fun!
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Past Challenges
The current list for 2019 challenges is below & you can check out this post for a list of 2018 challenges.
- Giant Paper Roses
- Making Feathers of All Kinds
- Bleaching Fabric for Bags
- Painted Wooden Bowls & Trays
- Bits & Pieces Tiered Organizer
This pin from Where the Smiles Have Been is a new addition to one of my Pinterest boards, but it seemed like a fun one to try this month. It also seemed like an easy one to try since I was pressed for time! The post was a roundup of different versions of a reverse canvas, with the first on the list being from the blogger herself. Most of them used HTV or heat transfer vinyl for their motifs. I decided to try something a little different!
Let’s meet this month’s Pinterest Challenge hosts!
My Pinterventures • Cookies Coffee and Crafts
Sew Crafty Crochet • Eye Love Knots • My Sweet Things
Across the Boulevard • Suzerspace • Purple Hues and Me
Decorate and More with Tip • Mom Home Guide
Our Unschooling Journey • Intelligent Domestications
Craftify My Love • Life Beyond the Kitchen • K’s Olympic Nest
Teadoddles • Farm Girl Reformed • Simple Nature Decor
Stone Cottage Adventures
To join next month’s #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ August Pinterest Challenge
Reversing the Frame
I’ve had this two pack of canvases hanging around for a while now. The one in the front got damaged when I was moving things around, but I still had one without a hole. I’ll save the other for another project idea!
My canvases were stapled on the side, unlike the ones in the original post. I found it easier to just pull it off – very….slowly! When I tried to use the hobby knife, it kept slipping & trying to poke a hole in my canvas. Of course that’s probably just my uncoordinated self…. : D
I wanted the frame to have a darker coat of paint first, so I combined this dark blue & black. This just gives it a little more depth than straight black.
Surprisingly, it coated the unfinished wood quite well! I thought it would soak up the paint, but it really didn’t.
Once that coat dried, I dry brushed a coat of sea glass blue on the tops & sides. I’ve had this paint forever it seems!
While I waited for that to dry, I started on the canvas. Well really I worked on it in between paint coats, but that doesn’t flow as well in a blog post! ; )
Octopus Reverse Canvas
The week of the 4th of July, I visited the Georgia Aquarium with my son, parents, & family friends. I was blown away by the amazing glimpses into underwater life. One of my favorites to see was the elusive octopus! He kept hiding from us, but I finally got to see him up close.
Anyway, that’s part of the reason I decided to do use an octopus image for this project. First, I wanted to make a background using this circle stencil & some new colors of Extreme Sheen I added to my collection.
I just laid it across diagonally & dabbed a little blue, then purple, then silver. The pink got left out, but I think it would have worked still.
I moved the stencil around until I had covered the whole canvas…
Next I decided to try something I had never done before – print on canvas! I trimmed the edges off the canvas & ironed wax paper on the back of it. This was to help make the canvas sturdier so it would go through the printer. I ironed it with the canvas face down so I wouldn’t be in direct contact with the paint. Then I picked out an octopus image from the Graphics Fairy, put everything in the print, & hoped it would work…
It did y’all! I’m so happy with how this turned out! Just look at all the detail & shiny bubbles…
I’m so glad this didn’t turn into a disaster because I don’t know what I would have done!
Finishing Up…
Time to put the octopus in his box! I decided to use double sided tape instead of hot glue. It seem the less messy & burn-my-fingers route!
Looks like it’s trying to get out of the box! I added some gold wax rub to the edges, but I think it needs something a little more…
I dug through my box of seashells & found some that were aged just right. A little e6000 & this frame is all done!
Y’all this was still drying when I took this picture, but I can’t wait to put it up on my mantel shelf for the rest of the summer! I really liked trying out this reverse canvas thing. It’s such a different way to look at a canvas! : )
Now, let’s see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓
26 Comments on Octopus Reverse Canvas ~ Pinterest Challenge
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That turned out super cool! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Monique! : )
Oh golly….the creature known as the octopus gives me the heeby jeebies ! They’re in the same category for me as snakes, lizards, etc.
Ha ha! Well I find them fascinating, but I can see how they could creep some people out. : )
This looks like a really cool project to try! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Gail! I really enjoyed doing it. : )
Your framed art looks neat. Great idea to upcycle an old frame. Love this!
Thanks Terrie! 🙂
What a cool octopus frame! Reverse canvas are really neat and I love the shimmering bubbles.
Thank you Jenny! I love the shimmering bubbles too! It’s neat how you can still see them behind the octopus.
That looks fabulous! Who knew you could print on canvas using an ordinary printer. What a great idea to give it a try. Pinned.
Thank you! I didn’t know if it would work, but I’m so glad it did! I’ve printed on fabric before, which is what canvas is. It was the paint on the canvas that I wasn’t sure of.
I have tried burlap through the printer, but never canvas. I have some prints I want to do, so maybe I will have to try that!
I think you will enjoy it! I was quite pleased with the quality of the print. : )
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at a reverse canvas, but worried about hand painting…not my strength and I don’t have a cutting machine for vinyl. I’m please to learn you can print on canvas. I do have a printer. So this sounds like a great project to try.
I did notice that most of the tutorials involved using vinyl. Seemed like a silly thing to do on canvas to me personally. I was very happy that the print turned out so well! : )
Very cute, I love sea animals!Pinning to my coastal board.
Thank you Maria! : )
That’s really cool!! I don’t want to think how many canvases I’ve thrown away… never more! Pinning to remember
Thank you Pili! I was very happy that it worked – sometimes you just don’t know! It’s really given me more ideas for future projects. : )
I’ve been wanting to try some reverse canvas art. Like that your trip inspired this piece. Now every time you glance at your beautiful piece you are also taken back to that day. Inspires me to try something similar using a memorable family get-together. Perfect in so many ways.
Thanks Kelli! I enjoy making a project that also helps capture a memory. : )
I can’t believe that pretty frame was covered with canvas. I love the new frame color and all the details on your stencil print too. Pinned.
Thank you Erlene! I was surprised as well! I think the detailed wood helps keep the canvas away from the frame.
OMG I am in love with this project!!!! It turned out awesome! I really would love to make something similar one day. Actually I am mulling over ways to make wall art for the nursery and I’ll try to add your technique into the mix somehow. Pinning!!
Thank you Habiba! I look forward to seeing what you make! : )