Need a low-cost gift that’s big on personality? Whether you need something thoughtful to give your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, birthday or any special occasion, custom art made by your two hands is a great gift. You don’t need to have any special artistic skills to complete this DIY art either. The only thing you’ll need are a few bucks worth of supplies.
Lay Out Your Letters on the Canvas
Step 1: Get Your Supplies
Your canvas for this project is going to be a cheap piece of underlayment from a hardware store. This will cost you about $6. Make sure you have it cut to the size you want at the hardware store to avoid extra work at home. You’ll also need some paint colors of your choice (any kind works) and a paint brush. Small bottles of paint from the craft store will work, or you could even use leftover wall paint stashed in your garage.
Step 2: Select a Quote
Pick a quote that will easily fit on your board. For our artwork we used Proverbs 25:11, A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. But you can choose a quote, song lyrics or poem that is meaningful to you and your special someone.
Step 3: Print Your Letters and Cut them Out
Choose a font and size and then print your letters. It’s best to choose a basic font that will be easy to cut out. We used Impact. Cutting out your letters may take a little while, but it’s a project you can complete while sitting on the couch.
Step 4: Prep Your Canvas
Choose Your Colors and Paint
This step is optional. You may want your letters to show the natural wood color, or you may want to paint the canvas. Either way your artwork will be lovely. We painted ours white.
Step 5: Tape On Your Letters
There are many ways to adhere your letters to the board, including just using regular tape. Stick them down well so that paint is less likely to seep underneath.
Step 6: Start Painting
This is where your creativity can really show. Select your colors and start painting. There are no real rules– just have fun! And if it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined, simply start over with more paint!
Step 7: Allow Paint to Dry
The Finished Product: DIY Custom Artwork
Make sure the paint dries completely before peeling away your letters. This will help the edges of your letters stay more crisp.
Step 8: Remove Letters and Hang
Start tearing away your letters. Don’t be alarmed if your paint leaked under them. This just adds to the artistic affect. Framing your custom artwork is definitely optional. The board works fine on its own, or you can add a frame to give it more of a finished, gallery look. Either way you’ve got a one-of-a-kind gift that your sweetheart will love.
Photos courtesy of Alison Storm
