Home décor can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very expensive. It’s easy to put five pieces of wall art in your cart only to add up your total and realize you’re spending hundreds of dollars.
You’re welcome to create your own wall art, of course, but some pieces are impossible for non-artistic people to replicate. How can someone who’s never drawn anything other than stick figures paint a landscape scene?
One type of wall art that looks sophisticated and modern but can easily be replicated at home is textured wall art. Although it looks fancy and expensive, textured wall art can be easily made right at home for a fraction of the cost.
So, how do you make your own DIY textured wall art? To make DIY textured wall art, simply use an old canvas wall art and apply joint compound, or drywall mud, to the canvas. Add your texture using palette knives, forks, combs, or whatever else you want, then seal it.
That’s it! Making your own textured wall art really is an easy and fun process. If you want to learn the ins and outs of making DIY textured wall art, keep reading below!
Supplies For DIY Textured Wall Art
Before you get starting making your own DIY textured wall art, you’ll need to gather all your supplies.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Drywall mud, also called joint compound (you can also use painter’s putty instead of drywall mud)
- Putty knife
- Canvas
- Painter’s tape
- Tools to add texture
- Notched trowel
- Palette knife set
- Comb
- Fork
- Spoon
- Paint primer
- Sealant
- Optional: spray paint or acrylic paint to add some color
- Optional: sponge to use for sponge painting with chosen pop of color, if desired
While most people use drywall mud, or joint compound, to create a textured wall art, you can also use painter’s putty. Try both and see which you like more!
Instead of purchasing a large canvas, you can instead check the clearance section of Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc. for large canvas wall art that’s on sale.
Large canvases are often quite expensive (running around $50-80 each depending on the size), but you can usually find a large wall art on sale at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, or Ross for $20 or less.
If you’re going to repurpose an old piece of canvas art, just remember to paint over the original artwork with primer before applying your drywall mud.
The tools you use to add texture are entirely up to you and the look you’re going for. You can use some of the tools we listed above or something totally different.
You can even use your fingers to create lines and waves in the art! If you like the uneven textured look of the drywall mud after you first apply it to the canvas, it’s okay to just leave it as-is.
When creating your textured wall art, it’s important to remember that this is your art piece. It can have whatever look you want it to have. The key is to create a piece of art that you love and feel proud to hang on your walls.
Many people choose to leave their DIY textured wall art white, but you can also paint it. You can spray the entire textured canvas art with one solid color of spray paint, or you can apply acrylic paint in more of a patterned look.
Some popular patterns to try are gradient and sponge painting. Rather than paint the entire canvas green, you could paint it white and add accents of green with a sponge or create a gradient of green to white across the canvas.
Just as with your endless options for creating texture, the color design is totally up to you.
How To Make DIY Textured Wall Art
Once you gather your supplies, you’re ready to create your DIY textured wall art!
Be sure to lay down a garbage bag, tarp, cardboard, or other disposable item to use on top of your working surface. This will protect your table, counter, or other surface from any drywall mud, paint, sealant, etc. After preparing your working surface, you’re ready to begin!
How to make DIY textured wall art:
- If using a framed canvas purchased from a store, cover the frame with painter’s tape. This will protect your frame from the drywall mud, paint, sealant, etc.
- Apply a layer of paint primer to the canvas. Whether you’re using a fresh, new canvas or repurposing an old one, primer helps prepare the canvas for the drywall mud.
- After the paint primer has dried completely, apply drywall mud or painter’s putty to the canvas using your putty knife. Be sure not to glob too much on the canvas in one area. Add big scoops all around the canvas, then smear it to cover the entire surface.
- Once your drywall mud covers your whole canvas, work quickly to add in your desired texture. Use whatever tools you’ve chosen and create your desired textures and patterns. Drywall mud stays wet long enough to do some simple art, but it will start to dry if you take too long.
- Allow the drywall mud to dry completely. It’s best to leave your art overnight and give it a full day at least to cure. You may notice cracks when it dries, which are normal. Check out the tips & tricks section below to learn how to repair any cracks.
- If you’re content with the natural color of your drywall mud, then apply a layer of clear sealant. Otherwise, now you can add your desired paints. This can be a solid coat of white or any other color, or a design you create with paintbrushes, sponges, etc.
- Once your paint has dried, apply your sealant.
After the sealant layer dries completely, you’re done! Remove the painter’s tape from the frame and hang up your work!
If you worked directly on a fresh, new canvas, you may want to invest in a nice frame for your art. Framing your canvas will make it look more professional. Large frames can cost just as much, if not more, than large canvases, so you can also consider creating your own frame.
This video below by The Creative Glow has a step-by-step tutorial for creating your own floating frame for your new canvas.
Tips & Tricks For Making DIY Textured Wall Art
If you’re going to spend the money and time to create your own DIY textured wall art, then it makes sense you’d want to do it right the first time. There’s no sense in wasting hours and materials on simple mistakes that could have been avoided.
- One tip that can help you avoid disaster is to remember to clean your edges. As you glob on your drywall mud and scrape across the surface to create texture, you’ll notice the mud piling up along the edges of your canvas. Before your drywall mud dries, make sure you clean the edges with your putty knife. Simply lift your canvas a little from the working surface and scrape along the edges, wiping any excess drywall mud back into the container.
- Use an old piece of wall art rather than a brand-new canvas. Repurposing old wall art can save you a lot of money, but remember to apply your coat of primer before adding the drywall mud. It may seem silly to add primer first, since the mud will undoubtedly cover up the old picture, but it’s still a good idea. The reason for using primer is that it helps the drywall mud stick to the canvas better. Usually store-bought wall art has been sealed heavily and has a slick surface. You want your drywall mud to have something to cling to, rather than a slippery surface to slide around on.
- Another trick that may save you as your drywall mud dries is fixing the cracks. It’s common for drywall mud to crack as it dries, and some people may enjoy that added texture, but others may find it distracting from the perfect pattern they’ve created. To fix any cracks that have happened to your drywall, grab a little of the wet drywall mud from your container and apply it lightly over the cracks. This should be done in a very light, thin layer. Allow the new repair to dry fully before moving on to paint or seal your wall art.
- The trick to making your textured wall art stand out is to add a pop of color. Although many of these textured wall art canvases are left stark white on purpose, a light pop of color can make all the difference. Whether you add color to just one textured section, create a gradient across the whole canvas, or paint the entire art a solid color, this can add emphasis to your textured design and help your artwork stand out from across the room.
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