Decoupage Canvases {DIY}.

The wall decor in my workroom has always bothered me. We hung up a lot of things in there to help fill the space, but I was never really happy with their placement. A few weeks ago, I went to town and took down a bunch of stuff, rearranging a lot of it and eliminating some things that were just not working. The wall my sewing machine table is on had a cork board, two large fabric hoops, and a wooden ironing board I found at the dump, which I planned to paint and then sort-of did but I ended up hating it.  My degrees are on the side wall.  And while there's nothing wrong with this wall, it always ending up bugging me.

In the basement we had stashed away 4 large 18" x 24" painting canvases that we had gotten for free.  I measured, and knew they would be the perfect size to fill that wall.  But with what?  There was a neat tape/paint/canvas idea going around on Pinterest awhile ago and I almost did that when I remembered that I have a very large basket of fabric scraps that I could use, and since it is a sewing room, how neat would fabric look up on the wall?  I gathered some supplies and got my decoupage on.

Now this makes me happy.  It's so fun and bright and inviting.  I moved the cork board to the side wall so I can still pin up ideas and useful things, and it fills in the space much better.  The degrees came down, the hoops moved to another wall and the ironing board headed back to the dump.  These canvases were so easy, I thought I'd share.

You'll need a painter's canvas (the wood-frame-backed kind), spray adhesive, Mod Podge, disposable brushes, and fabric scraps (maybe not quite such a full basket).

Spray the adhesive onto the canvas and press your fabric scraps into place in a patchwork pattern, making sure all the ends are nice and stuck down.  I wanted to go for a rainbow effect and so I kept like colors together.  I also cut strips and covered the four edges all in the same fabric so they looked more finished.  Note: your fingers will get sticky.

Once the whole canvas is covered, let the adhesive dry completely.  This was an outdoor project since the adhesive can be a little stinky.

When everything is dry, use a disposable brush to cover the entire surface with Mod Podge.  I used the matte formula to help keep the flat look of the fabric.  I wanted all the edges to stay flat and I didn't want anything peeling up.

Once the Mod Podge is completely dry, they're ready to hang.

Now when I walk in I get a little reminder of each project those fabrics were used on.  It makes for a happy work space.