Easy DIY Halloween Canvas Art

It’s October! How did that happen?! The holiday season is fast approaching! And, now that our September Shower Baby Week is over, I’m eager to dive in to all things fall & Halloween! So, we’re kicking things off today with a super easy Halloween craft project using Mod Podge! Seriously, even those of you who say you’re not crafty can TOTALLY make this DIY Halloween canvas art!I recently received a whole box of crafty Mod Podge goodness in the mail! I LOVE how many different Mod Podge varieties there are– something perfect for just about any project you’re working on. Some of them are especially great for Halloween, like the antique matte, glow-in-the-dark, and crackle varieties! There’s even a kids version (for easy wash out) that I’m excited to try with the boys! Of course, the biggest question when presented with lots of crafty goodness, is “what to make?” My mind has been swimming with all kinds of ideas, but finding time to execute them lately has been challenging (what with the newborn and all). So, I wanted to do something easy, that wouldn’t take a lot of time and this project delivered on both counts! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY Halloween Canvas Art:

• 8×8 canvas
• 12×12 sheet of Halloween paper (I like the ones that look more like real pictures)
• paper cutter (or scissors)
• Antique Matte Mod Podge
• “BOO” letters (I used my Cricut to cut them out)
• Paint brush
• *Mod Podge Crackle Medium
• *Orange paint

*Note: The last two supplies are optional. I wanted to try the crackle effect, which is cool. But you would have a nice art print even if you skipped those extra steps!

First up, size the paper to just wrap around your canvas. Then, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the canvas and apply the paper to the canvas. Wrap the paper around the edges just as if you were wrapping a present. Next up, apply a thin coat of the Antique Matte Mod Podge over the paper to adhere the “Boo” letters (or another saying if you so choose)–make sure you also go over the letters as well. The Antique Matte helps gives the white letters (and the moon) a more vintage look! Let everything dry and at this point, you could be done. The whole process (minus drying time took maybe 10-15 minutes total). Super easy!

I decided to take it a little further though because I wanted to try the Crackle Medium. Because the print is so dark, it’s not quite so noticeable all over. But, on the moon, the lighted part behind the house, and the letters, it turned out pretty cool! Definitely adds to the vintage, spooky look! Once the canvas seemed pretty dry, I painted over it with the crackle medium– following the directions carefully. Then, I left it to dry for an hour (as per the directions). Once dry, I mixed some orange paint with a little water and covered the canvas with it. I left the paint mixture on just long enough that I thought it was soaking into the cracks, but not long enough to dry. Then, I wiped the whole thing off with a paper towel. The end result gives subtle detail, making the print seem somehow that much more “finished”. Allow everything to dry and then decide where to put your cool new Halloween canvas art print! We just started getting out the Halloween decorations yesterday (I just can’t bring myself to do it before October) and I’m excited to have something new that looks really cool! Until you get close up, it looks like a painting! Pretty awesome for maybe only about 20 minutes of work (not including drying time)! For more info on everything Mod Podge (and Plaid crafts) be sure to follow them on facebook, twitter, and Pinterest. And if you’re looking for more crafty, Halloween projects, check out these awesome ideas:

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid and Blueprint Social. However, my opinions and project are entirely my own!