DIY HERRINGBONE CANVAS ART

I love being able to share things that I've learned and have worked for me... but I love even more being able to share the work of someone who has completely inspired me! I have invited Lexi, my super sweet and talented sister-in-law to share some of her DIY projects with us and thankfully, she has accepted. I love how she and her husband Steve work together on projects to make their home a beautiful place. What a great way to strengthen your marriage! This project would be perfect for your home, I promise!

Hi everyone! My name is Lexi, and I am so excited that Carisa has invited me to her super cute blog!! Being able to share what I do with Carisa, but more importantly you guys, is something I am so looking forward to!! We all need some spice in life...let me show you what some of that spice is!

Well to start off, I have to say that I've been bit... by the DIY bug!! 

This was a little bug I stumbled upon a while back...and I was in love! I mean, who doesn't love a little bit of herringbone right??

Well, I needed this. But I was a little concerned about the price since canvas can be expensive. Especially large Canvas, like I wanted. I also had no idea what kind of paint I needed, or if that would skyrocket the price too!

I'm here to settle all those worries if you're having them...this project is totally affordable! Based off my large Canvas, the whole project only cost about $40!

I'm going to list off the items I used for my canvas, but keep in mind that if you decide to go bigger or smaller on your canvas, you will have to make changes accordingly (aka. amount of paint, size of tape, etc.)

I went to Michaels for my materials. But if you go to Michaels DONT FORGET to print off your COUPONS from their online website here! 

What you need: 

Canvas- 2'X3'

Americana Acrylic Paint -1 or 2 bottles of each color + 2 bottles of White (a little of this paint goes a long way) 

Paint Brush

Sponge

1" wide blue painter’s tape

Ruler

Scissors

I used this color scheme to inspire the colors on my art piece! I. Just. Drool. Over it! I definitely recommend looking for a color scheme if you are finding yourself lost in this area. It helps the overall vision! 

This art piece is super simple. You ready for it??

Okay, lets get er' done!

Step 1:

Paint away! Dig down and find that inner artist in you! Be creative and go wherever your heart desires! This is the fun part! 

We wanted a mirage sort of look with ours, so we used up and down strokes for most of the painting. 

Remember that if you make a mistake, you can just paint over it! That is what is so brilliant about canvas! No worries here. 

Afterward we used the sponge, dipped in white paint, and gave some texture and depth to the painting. We loved that part!  

Acrylic paint dries fast. You don't need to wait 12 hours to move on to step 2. But pat the paint just to be sure you are ready continue.

Step 2: 

Time to start creating the herringbone! 

Cut your pieces of tape in 3" long rectangles. 

Lay out your tape in the herringbone pattern leaving space in between each piece of tape. (either measure your spacing, or use a something as a spacer. We used a little white eraser.) 

Press down the edges of the tape while you go! You don't want a lot of white paint to bleed under the tape, in the later steps. 

Step 3:

Next, step back and remove certain pieces of tape where you want it to be painted all white.

Step: 4

Paint white! 

Cover the space in between your tape and the missing pieces of tape, in white. Try not to paint too heavy directly on the tape edges to avoid bleeding. 

Step 5:

DONT WAIT for the white paint to dry. You want to remove all the tape while it is wet, so that the white paint doesn't peel off with the tape. 

Carefully peel the tape off. There will most likely be some small bleeding, but most of it will just enhance the texture!

Touch up any bleeding that you don't like with the colored paint. Remember, it doesn't need to be perfect! Imperfections add character! 

Step 6:

Let the whole thing dry.

Pat yourself on the back…you’ve done it!! And it looks marvelous!! 

This was such a fun project for me!! It turned out so beautiful and I love the color it adds to the room! You will have so much fun doing this too. Let Carisa and I know how it goes!! 

Carry-on fellow DIY-ers, until next time. 

-Lexi

Thank you so much Lexi! It turned out absolutely amazing and I'm so glad you could share! I hope everyone is feeling totally inspired now. It's okay if you want to leave and head to Michaels to pick up your own canvas! 

Linked up with these parties: