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DIY Beach Art On A Canvas Drop Cloth

Painters drop cloth is a budget friendly tool that can be made into large scale art. You don’t have to be an artist to do this and I’ll share some tips on how to create a large scale beach art painting.
beach painting oversized canvas art

My Inspiration – Sea Meets Sky

A visit to Sanibel Island where we had been dozens of times over the years to visit my husband’s parents always inspires me. The sky meets the sea and the sunsets are spectacular and inspiring! So I decided to try and capture what I saw this night in my own way by making large scale art on a canvas drop cloth. A painters tarp is not just handy for covering and protecting. I have used canvas drop cloths in sewing projects like curtains, pillows and slipcovers, once made a painters tarp floor cloth and now a painting!
sanibel island sunset

Rescuing Junk

I remembered this frame that was in the storage shed on the side of the house. It was originally in a large carton of an appliance or something that my husband ordered for his construction business and when I saw it about to go into a dumpster I grabbed it for future use. I wasn’t really sure what I would do with it, so I stuck it in the shed for what turned out to be an ah-ha serendipitous moment.

DIY Beach Art On A Canvas Drop Cloth

Project Supplies:

  • Large canvas drop cloth
  • Frame or ready made stretcher bars. If ambitious you can also build your own frame with 1 x 2 boards
  • Scissors
  • Iron or steamer
  • Staple gun (and staples)
  • Large paint brush
  • Throw away plate
  • Drop cloth to protect your working surface
  • Gesso
  • Acrylic craft paint or watercolor paint

coastal beach painting canvas drop cloth

Project Instructions

With frequent projects around our home I have a stack of painters drop cloth pieces that are at the ready for anything! I found one that is just the right size in my pile in the garage, so I grabbed a canvas drop-cloth and cut it to size. My painters tarp was used and was soft from several washings. If you are doing any project with with canvas I recommend that you wash it first. You can also bleach canvas, which you’d probably want to do if using for a finished project like drop cloth curtains.

 

ironing a painters drop cloth

I left a few inches on all sides when cutting to allow for wrapping on the stretcher bars. If you have wrinkles in your canvas after washing, you can steam or iron them out. My new washer and dryer both have a steam only setting which such a time saver for a project like this! Read more here My Stylish Functional Laundry Room Reveal. There is also a terrific spray that you can use to remove wrinkles and you’ll find that HERE.

painters tarp used for an art project

Next I pulled it as tight as I could and with my staple gun I went at it to the frame from the back, tucking the corners. Thankfully I studied art in college and did most of my own canvas stretching so the tricks were still embedded in my brain. Kind of like riding a bike!

canvas drop cloth stretched for art

Now we are ready, but drop-cloths tend to be porous and it needed to be whiter for my painting. I gave it a nice thick coat of Liquitex Gesso and let it dry. One of my most popular posts shows another use for gesso and you can find that HERE.

painters drop cloth preparation

You can use either acrylic craft paints, oil based artist paints or watercolor paints on the canvas, once you’ve sealed with gesso. Watercolor paints won’t work well on their own, but you can add a few drops to some gesso as a tint. *TIP* Don’t forget to use a drop cloth when painting your drop cloth!! You’ll want to protect your surface.
mixing watercolor paint with gesso
Not sure that I’m completely finished and I might add some more texture, but I’m loving the nice summer look that it gives the room!
beach painting canvas dropcloth shabbyfufu-2
This post has been updated and was previously published in March 2015.

And, today I’m joined by a fabulous group of blogging friends who are also sharing their Summer DIY Ideas as part of the Seasonal Simplicity Summer Series…

Just click on the links below the images to be taken to their posts and see what they’re sharing today. I’m blown away by all the awesome summer DIY ideas!

5 Minute Dollar Store DIY Hit Wall at The Happy Housie
Anthro Octopus Knockoff at Craftberry Bush
Summer Activities Tree at The Handmade Home
Easy Ways to Bring Colour Into Your Home for Summer at Tatertots and Jello
Rustic Birdhouse Garden DIY Decor from the Dollar Store at The DIY Mommy

DIY Shell Planter Tutorial at Zevy Joy
Painted Wood Jewelry Dish at Paint Me Pink
DIY Beach Art on a Canvas at Shabbyfufu
DIY Concrete Vase at Place of My Taste
How to Dress Up Your Walls For Summer at My Sweet Savannah

DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Liberty Burlap Party Banner at She Gave it A Go
Campfire S’Mores Gift Basket Idea at Modern Glam
How to Paint a Concrete Patio at The Turquoise Home
DIY Hanging Garden Trellis at A Pretty Life
DIY Coastal Window Box at Finding Silver Pennies

DIY Rainbow Book Art at Life is a Party
DIY Tabletop Marshmallow Roaster at Sincerely, Marie Designs
How to Make a Sign the Easy Way at Confessions of a Serial DIYer
DIY Bird House at Seeking Lavender Lane
Simple Botanical Watercolour at Lemon Thistle
DIY S’mores Bar at Clean & Scentsible

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29 Comments

  1. Lucy Lomelin says:

    Oh Janet! Can't wait! Love! ?

  2. Oh my word, Janet! This is gorgeous! You continue to amaze me, girl!!!! I would love to own one of your paintings!

    xoxo laurie

  3. That's very crafty and pretty! I love the pastel colors of it!

  4. https://deezie-sunshinedeezines.blogspot.com/ says:

    Very creative and the painting itself is just beautiful!!!

  5. This is so very pleasing to my eyes! Your creativity amazes me!

  6. DD's Cottage says:

    Love your resourcefulness Janet and the painting is very pretty

  7. Simply amazing! I love this pastel magic!
    Hugs

  8. Love your use of recycling…of things you already have…and the result is pure beauty!

  9. Janet, your art piece is fabulous, so much so it took on the whole feel of your design mood of tone and texture of your colour scheme in how you live and design around.
    It looks very much done, yet I know as an artist a piece is never done until it tells you so!
    You could drag a intense deep water blue line across the horizon line where the pink begins to add that horizon line of depth, and if it were my piece it would call out done. Wow! It really could hang in a gallery.
    Like myself, I absoluty love that you created this canvas all by scratch, it really adds the best interest to your art then running down to a craft store to by a canvas.

    Really amazing drama you had added to your crisp home.

  10. This is very pretty. I wish I knew more about painting. Lovely colors.

    1. That was such a fun and spur of the moment project! Thanks for stopping by Heather

  11. Funny story. I love to paint and have many canvases ready to create. My husband finished our dining room (My sons old bedroom after he bought a house). I’ve been looking at bare walls for months now. My fear is creating something and not liking it. I think I was thinking too technical. That is until this post. Thank you for for inspiring me to think less is more. And maybe I’ll embellish after I get past my courage. 😉

  12. This is just beautiful, Janet! The colors are so perfect, love it! Happy summer friend 🙂

  13. Wow this is gorgeous!! And you stretched your own canvas?? True DIYer right there! XOXO

  14. Absolutely gorgeous Janet. And it clears up some questions I had about when to use gesso! Thanks for the inspiration!

  15. Beautiful Janet. I love that you used what you had, so it’s inexpensive so if we’re not as artistic as you, we can start over!

  16. Janet, this is so pretty and soft and looks perfect in your home. Sanibel is such a pretty place.

  17. We are in the process of thinking outside of the box for large and inexpensive artwork for my daughter’s new home. This is perfect! I have the DIY savvy to make the frame and she has the artistic gift to paint the canvas. Thanks for the inspiration!

    1. Such a fun way to create art Marie..and of course, thrifty! Happy creating

  18. Patti Sanchez says:

    Hi Janet, please tell me where I can purchase the beautiful dress painting found on one of your blogs.  I would really appreciate it.   Or as a possibility,  may I buy yours?   Thanks for your time, 

    Patti Sanchez 

  19. It’s beautiful you should sign it🤔

    1. Thank you so much Gail…enjoy your day!