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Fabric On Canvas Christmas DIY

December 20, 2018

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Create a custom wall hanging or painting by transferring your design onto a stretched canvas with iron on fabric sheets.

Super simple DIY...

Stretched Canvases on a table

With each Christmas that passes, I seem to simplify my holiday decor a little bit more. Gone are the days of ornaments stuffed in baskets and Santas on every surface.

I'm done wasting precious hours setting it all up, taking it all down and dusting it all in between.

That doesn't however mean that I'm a decor Grinch.

On the contrary. I still love to decorate my home for Christmas. I'm just a whole lot more discerning now.

Take my bedroom for instance.

This season I was hoping to add a Christmas pillow to my bed and a festive sign to the master bathroom wall ~ both in green to coordinate with my existing decor ~ and I was very excited about it.

Unfortunately, my search for the perfect items fell flat.

The pillows were either too colorful or too large and the gift bags I had located for the bathroom wall weren't the right sizes in the hues I needed.

Ugh.

Then I got an idea, well, for the pillow, at least. I would make my own. Brilliant.

While I had never done it before, I knew that I could create a pattern using a program like PicMonkey and I could use iron on transfer paper to place it on the pillow.

In theory, at least, it was genius.

Iron On Transfer Sheets

I started by gathering my supplies. A pillow form, some ball fringe, white fabric and the iron on transfer sheets. I bought the ones for light fabrics, since I would be working with a white surface.




Then I sat down at my computer and began the design process. I mocked up several different wreaths and one tree, using colors I couldn't find on store shelves.
Christmas Printable Wreath and Tree Designs

To visual them with my decor, I printed them up and placed them on the bed to see which I liked best.

Once I decided,  grabbed my sewing supplies and began working on my pillow cover.

Then on a chance encounter at Target, I found a darling placemat I loved and whipped up a pillow cover from it in about ten minutes flat.

Making A Custom Pillow with wreath and tree printables on bed

Of course, the bummer of the situation was that I had already opened the transfer paper and printed on it and I had spent a bit of time on the project...and wasn't really ready to abandon it.

But with Christmas a little more than a week away and a house full of guests scheduled to arrive for an early celebration, I gathered all of my unused supplies to put in the craft cabinet for next year.

As luck would have it, as I was making room for them, a brand new stretched painting canvas fell out of the cabinet.

When I picked it up, I realized that canvas was in fact fabric and I could probably iron my design on to it and hang it in my bathroom.

So I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did, because this last minute whim of a crafty DIY went so well, I can see myself doing again and again.

And it doesn't have to be for the holidays.

With rollers in my hair and my trusty bathrobe covering my party clothes, I carefully measured where I wanted my print to go.

My design had been printed on the paper days earlier, as per the directions included in the packet.

Ironing On Canvas Sheet with Joy wreath

Next, I grabbed my trusty crafting iron (something cheap). Yes, I have two. I highly suggest this. I would never want to use the one I create with on my clothes.

It has years of sticky ick and perhaps paint and glue on it. I clean it off after each use, but I don't trust that it's clean enough for garments.

An iron, a canvas and iron on sheet on kitchen counter

I checked the internet to see if I could find a tutorial of someone else trying this, but came up empty handed. So it was a bit of an experiment, but frankly, it worked great.

I did end up with a few silver marks on the canvas from the iron, where the iron hit the wood frame...who knows why...but they came out with a pencil eraser.

I just went slow with the ironing, following the instructions and when I peeled the backing away, my print was perfect.

Removing Marks From Canvas

I gave it few minutes to dry, while I took the curlers out of my hair, and then I gave the entire canvas a coat of decoupage why a bristle brush to seal it up with a Christmas kiss of sparkle.

Adding decoupage to canvas with brush over Joy wreath iron on

In the end, I was super happy. The design looked great with my bedding and would've made a fabulous pillow.

I'm thinking about making one after all. I just need to remove the word JOY and it'll be a year round accessory.

Iron On canvas Christmas art

In the meantime, this pretty canvas print could go anywhere in my home as a holiday accent.

I moved it around from room to room, combining it with other holiday favorites...

Custom Christmas Printable on Canvas DIY on display

...but settled on the master bathroom wall since that was my original intention.

It's just the touch I was looking for to decorate the room.

Christmas Bathroom Decor

Simple.

Clean.

Elegant...and definitely Christmas.

Iron On Custom Canvas Print Graphic

Plus it matches the tissue box.

But only because I went shopping this week. 😉

Merry Christmas!

Have you ever tried iron on paper?




Kim Signature


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  1. Very clever. I would have never thought to put the iron on onto a stretched canvas. I love how you are crafting with your party clothes on. I am a last minute girl also but I am pretty sure you got me beat. Way to go!!!

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    1. Ha! Lorri...It was a pretty funny sight, but once I got that bee in my bonnet I had to go for it. I wasn't sure it would work to be honest. I used to paint on canvas all the time and I know it's treated, but not sure with what. Turns out, it worked perfectly. My only limitation was the size of my paper and my printer, so this method is not going to work on bigger projects, but lucky me, I live in a cottage. So that is not an issue!! 😉 And thanks!!

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  2. Very Clever!!!! So happy you could put an iron to the canvas. This came out so cute. Again you need to open up a little site here and sell your sweet craft items. Have a very Merry Christmas.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Kris, you are the sweetest. I have to say, I really like this one....a little experiment that turned out ok. Merry Christmas to you my sweet friend! Hugs!

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  3. Kim you are always coming up with the most creative ideas. I love this print on the canvas and loos so pretty.
    Wishing you a Merry Christmas.
    Julie

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    1. Thanks Julie. It was a super fun trial! Merry Christmas! xo

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  4. I love this! Although I have to say that you must make something with that tree....it's gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks so much, AnnMarie, I do love that tree, too. That was my first try. Come to think of it, I do have another canvas....

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  5. Kim,
    As always, amazing ideas.
    I like the clean look, it really is just perfect.
    Merry Christmas,
    Carla

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    1. Thank you for all the kind words, Carla! It was an unexpected success. Merry Christmas!

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  6. I absolutely love this! You are brilliant! :)

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  7. Kim, I have never used iron on transfer, period. I have some old artist canvas left over from when I painted (just cross out that last word) copied acrylics back in the day. Will have to try because I do love what you did. It makes a gorgeous and simple Christmas statement on your wall. Merry Christmas and make your New Year's resolution...Never stop the DIY's coming!! xxoJudy

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    1. Judy, thank you so much! I have to say this one got my creative juices flowing. It was unexpected, super simple and it really is something anyone can do. The only reason I'm familiar with the iron on transfer sheets is because over the years my kids have wanted something for a holiday (like Halloween costume shirts or ugly Christmas garments) with patterns that weren't sold in stores....so I made them. Who knew it would work well on a wall hanging!! xo

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  8. Great idea, Kim. Since I have the same tissue box, I think I need to make one.
    Merry Christmas!

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    1. I LOVE that tissue box, Ann. It's the same color as my bedroom walls so I decided to make it the bathroom accent color in the new year. Gosh...I hope they don't stop selling it! ☺️😉

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  9. Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Cecilia! And Merry Christmas my friend. xo

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  10. I haven mentioned before that you are a genius and this proves it!

    I love your designs that you made, and that canvas is wonderful!

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    1. Deanna, you are the sweetest! Thank you! It was just a crafty whim that worked out well. 😊

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  11. You are just the cutest thing, Kim - I'm convinced there's nothing you can't do!! Merry Christmas sweet friend!! xo

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    1. Debbie...thank you so much. That comment means a lot. I'll have to remember it on days when nothing is going right! xoxo

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  12. I too seem to get the most genius ideas minutes before they need to be done, and either guests are arriving, or I need to leave... why oh why is that? It seems all my creative juices get together in a flow right at the last minute, wish it didn't work like that! HA! LOVE LOVE your creation, and you've got me thinking now, as I've got some canvases that could be dolled up! Thanks for the inspiration, as always! Have a blessed and Merry Christmas :)

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    1. Marilyn, I think you might be right...and creative juices are hard to stop once they get flowing! I hope you had the Merriest of Christmases and are enjoying a restful holiday week!

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  13. It's just beautiful and I bet you looked hysterical working on it with your curlers and bath robe! I used to use an iron on paper all the time until it was discontinued, it was my favorite! I will haver to try this paper!

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    1. Oh my gosh, you should've seen me, Susan! It was very funny...

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  14. What a clever idea! It turned out very pretty! I haven't used irons before, but that a cool way to make some pretty decor.

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    1. Thanks Linda! It really is so easy to use and the results are fabulous. I say give it a try!

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  15. Kim, I love this! It is so pretty and turned out perfectly! I've never used iron-on transfer paper, maybe that is something I should try rather than stenciling...and knowing that it can ironed on to a canvas is perfect! Did the iron marks come off or are they just so light they don't show up? I can't see them at all! Merry Christmas! Love and hugs!

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    1. WAY easier than stenciling, Benita...and yup, the eraser took those marks right out. Love that. I hope you had the merriest of Christmases my friend. Love and hugs to you!!

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  16. So cute! And of course it matches your kleenex box and towel! :) Good tip about having two irons too!

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    1. Thanks Lisa...and yes, I learned the two iron trick the hard way. 🙃

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  17. What an elegant print, Kim, I love it. I'm also on a journey to simplify. Not always easy. I've already let go of everything I'm sure that I won't miss and there is a lot of stuff left and a lot of bad habits. In short, there is work to be done here :-) I hope you all had a lovely Christmas day, my friend.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you, Amalia! And I know…still so much more to be done. I told the kids to expect a list this week. Lots of boxes to go through. I hope they’re as eager to simplify as I am! Teenagers like stuff! Enjoy the week, my friend and good luck on your simplifying quest!

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  18. Thank you, Teri! I hope you had the merriest of Christmases and are enjoying a relaxing week at home! Hugs!

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  19. I am so far behind in “Blog Catch Up!”
    But I am here . . .

    One more great idea to place in my CREATIONS archive . . .
    While I am here.
    Hope you enjoyed a Merry Christmas and wiishing you . . .
    Happy New Year.

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    1. Oh Lynne, I hear you! The holidays took us by storm and we went with it! I hope you had a lovely season and are off to a fabulous New Year!! All the best!

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  20. Cute as a button Kim! But wait, you use rollers? I remember trying to sleep with those torture devices on and amazingly succeeded! What we do for beauty lol. Now it takes all of three minutes to dry my hair :).

    I’m picturing you with rollers, a fluffy bathrobe and floppy slippers. Such a vision!

    xxx

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    1. That was me, Doreen...fluffy bathrobe, floppy slippers and velcro rollers in my hair. I've been going straight for a really long time, but during the holidays I decided to go curly again. Of course, in the old days I used to opt for hot rollers. I still own them, but I'm afraid that if I used them, I'd look like the Breck girl...and that is a big no...for now anyway. Who knows what 2019 will bring! 😉Happy New Year!

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  21. You did a beautiful job! Interesting way without stencil

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    1. Thanks Maria! I really like this way...I can create my own pattern without a machine.

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