Make canvas art with free printables

Yesterday browsing blogs I came across a link to free printable art on a site called Feed Your Soul via How About Orange. I knew we needed the sleeping squirrel one being that 2 year old LOVES squirrels and we in fact are having nap time protests. lol
So I figured she could use some inspiration hanging by her bed. I didn't want to just hang the picture for her to eventually tear up, nor did I want it framed because 2 year olds don't have the reputation for leaving things alone that they can reach. So I came up with this idea. I already had some 8 X 11 blank canvases (my crafting pack rat tendencies come in real handy for instant crafting gratification). So to turn your free printable or any 8 X 11 printed paper into art on canvas keep reading. :)


Just need your canvas, print and mod podge. First I printed my art onto white cardstock. This squirrel print is just the right size. I did some others too and some of the prints are a bit larger. I simply trimmed them to fit the canvas.

Now apply a layer of mod podge to the front of the canvas and one to the back of your printed cardstock. Place the print carefully on the canvas and smooth. Let dry (if you get impatient like I did with the first one and you go ahead and do your top layer when the bottom is still wet it makes your paper a little too wet and it starts rumpling and bending). Now apply a layer of mod podge to the top of the print to seal it.

For my toddlers art I wanted to hang it from ribbon. So after the top dried I turned the canvas over and used a staple gun to attach the ribbon to the top. Take a lighter close to the other raw ends of the ribbon to heat set it to prevent raveling. Then to avoid potential injuries I hung Maressa's art on one of those command strip hooks by her bed. Now we say goodnight to the squirrel at bedtime and at yesterday's nap she was distracted enough by her sleepy painting that she took her nap without the usual screaming routine (disclaimer: in no way do I suggest that cute art by the bed will alleviate bed time woes with toddlers, I'm sure our troubles are not over yet!)

So check out the free art...they have a little something for everybody and I printed several to hang in different rooms and for gifts (after all I did have 6 of those canvases on hand!) :)