4.16.2014

Project Post: Easy Canvas Applique Art

Here's a quick and easy one.

So awhile back I needed three small canvases for a project I was doing for a baby shower. For something that seems like such a simple object, canvases can be pricey! So when I found a Bargain Pack of 10 at JoAnn's and I had a 50% off coupon, I figured I'd find something to do with the other 7. I think including this project I still have 3 to go.

Anyways, you could adapt this a million different ways, but in my case I had been hoarding two applique numbers. Backstory: the Padres hold a "Garage Sale" for charity before the start of every season. They pull tons of stuff from out of storage and you never know what you'll find --- game-used jerseys, autographed balls, surplus promotional items, old banners used on the streetlamps surrounding the ballpark, batting helmets, uniform pants... it's crazy. Season ticket holders get priority entrance and line up around the block at like 7am hoping to get their hands on cool memorabilia. But if you volunteer at the Garage Sale (and get the coveted set-up shift), you can claim first dibs.

Last year I found a box of assorted letters and numbers, the kind that are sewn onto the backs of jerseys. I was hoping to find numbers to spell out our full anniversary (12.27.08), but only wanted the retro brown numbers, so I could only find "27." Good enough. As it turned out, the 27 fit on my canvas perfectly.



I had some khaki twill-ish fabric on hand from a previous project, so after ironing it I laid my canvas in the center and cut out a square with a couple of extra inches on each side. From there I basically followed the guidelines of how the canvas was already wrapped, and like wrapping a present, I worked on one side at a time and stapled the edges and corners.

You'll need to work on the corners so that they stay snug and relatively flat. Also, I decided to tuck in the little bit of excess I had on a couple of the sides and add a few extra staples.

Once I had my canvas ready, I considered using my glue gun to adhere the numbers, but since I had this no-sew fabric glue on hand I thought I'd give that a try and hope for fewer glue-strings. The directions basically just tell you to add the glue to both pieces of fabric that you're sticking together -- but since I was sure I would get glue on parts of the canvas I didn't want to get glue on, I stuck to putting glue on the perimeter of my numbers, carefully laying them on my canvas, and then before they had time to bond I carefully lifted the edges of the numbers and added a thin line of glue to the canvas as well. 


I did one number at a time, and while it dried/bonded I laid a heavy book on top. Oh, I also recommend using something flat that fits within the frame of the canvas to give you a better working surface -- I used my 9-inch square cake pan. Then when you lay the book on top it's really pressing the two fabrics together firmly from both sides. Repeat with second number (or letter or applique shape or whatever you're using).

Overall, even though I can see that I don't have the spacing quite right, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out! In fact when E saw it laying on the table after I'd finished it he said he thought I had a Padres jersey folded up just showing the numbers. That's fun, right? If you don't have access to MLB-surplus items, you can usually find jersey numbers and/or letters at sporting goods stores, embroidery shops or sometimes screenprinters, even craft stores and trophy shops. Doing a name, jersey-style, or a birthday could be really cute for a kid's room. It's an easy way yo make something one-of-a-kind and totally personal.


So this is eventually going to be part of a gallery wall in our bedroom -- we've lived here more than four years and I've never really put any art on our bedroom walls. It's sad. But not for much longer! #AnotherUnfinishedProject In the meantime I had fun staging it with some other Padres stuff (and retro Padres-colored flowers).

So what kind of quick and easy art projects are you doing lately? Anything using these cute little 10-inch canvases? I think I bought a pack of 10 for about $20, and my garage sale numbers were like, $1 each so that makes this a pretty frugal art piece. :)

Happy canvassing,

No comments:

Post a Comment