Make DIY Textured Canvas Art Using Drywall Joint Compound!
You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own modern boho style white textured canvas art at home using a construction material you may have in the garage!
Ready to create some trendy wall art on the cheap?!
I love testing viral DIY crafts and have been wanting to try my hand at making canvas art by using drywall joint compound on a canvas. It looks like a beautiful plaster but is actually the material meant for smoothing out the seams in new drywall and repairs.
This textured canvas craft looks so similar to spreading frosting on a cake and is so satisfying and fun to create!
The actual design is up to you, but do consider making these trendy modern arches!
I noticed this arched rainbow design is very popular right now as abstract art. I personally love this trend and its minimalist boho vibes! You can either leave your design white or go even further and paint it after it’s dried. Either way is beautiful. The textured look is so amazing.
I am sure there are specific drywall spreaders you can use, but I had cake decorator frosting scrapers on hand and those worked out as an easy tool to make waves, arches, and circles.
This textured wall art project is such a frugal DIY craft!
I stopped at my local thrift store to grab a couple of canvases for a few dollars each. You can of course buy whichever size blank canvas you’d like new, but I love the idea of making over an existing canvas. Using either an older piece from home or from a thrift store is a great way to repurpose and save money.
We already had the drywall joint compound in the garage, as well as white house paint, so this is a very low spend design project!
Tips for making DIY textured art using drywall joint compound:
- This process does take a steady hand and is perhaps not as easy as I initially thought. The great news is if you don’t like a design it’s easy just to spread flat again and start over! It’s not supposed to look perfect though, and I love the tiny imperfections. You can consider practicing on scrap wood first.
- It takes a day or two to dry depending on how thick you spread the material, so plan for the drying time. The joint compound I am using dries to a bright white color.
- Small cracks did happen to one of my pieces. If this happens, smooth on a little more of the joint compound with a small brush to fix it. Then let it dry again.
- If you want to paint any portion of your designs, wait until the textured part is dry and then use a paintbrush and acrylic craft paint to personalize further.
- It’s a good idea to consider adding a layer of clear coat or Mod Podge on top to protect your canvas art after it’s dry.
DIY Textured Canvas Art
PrintSupplies Needed
Directions
1
If you are making over an existing painting on canvas like me, first paint it white and let dry. If starting with a new blank canvas, you can skip that part.
2
Use a putty knife to spread joint compound onto the canvas like peanut butter. You’ll want enough to cover the entire area, but not so much that it won’t dry.
3
Once the entire are is covered start making your designs on your canvas. This can making be arches and designs using with the cake scrapers. If you don’t like your design, smooth it out again with a flat edge tool, and start again! You’ll have about 20 minutes before it starts setting up and hardening.
4
Once finished, let your piece dry completely. This takes a day or so.
5
Leave the canvas white, or paint it as desired. Hang or display your art!
Stop it! These turned out so pretty! 🤩
So I’m not an artist obviously, and this technique will take some practice. Overall, I love how it turned out! I may even go further and add a wood frame to these canvases. Either way, this is such a fun and inexpensive DIY textured canvas idea to make at home. I can’t wait to hang them up!
It could also be fun to create a craft night with a group of friends to make something like this.
Have you seen my Pottery Barn-inspired thrift store vase makeover yet? Check it out!
This is SOOOOOO cute, Lina! Great job. I work for a construction company and never thought to do something like this. You better believe our crews are going to be missing a dab of their drywall supplies very soon! 😀
Ohhh yay thanks!! Haha I say go for it!! Thanks Carmen!
You can use any gesso too and the cleanup is easier. Try any Golden or liquitex Gesso or thickener available at craft stores
Another great texture is soaking paper bags in any paint- including house paint and then putting that thick paper wrinkled on the canvas. Let dry and then paint your fav color or just scrub paint on the taller parts
Oh love those ideas! Thanks so much Angela!