Canvas, Covered

I had three half-altered mini canvases from Michael's.

I had remnants of the fabric I used for our sofa pillows.

I had freezer paper.

And now, I have printed fabric-covered canvases for our dining room.

This was definitely one of the cheapest home decor projects possible. The canvases were only a dollar in the Michael's bargain area -- actually, they had rather charming images of teacups in bright pastels (Can pastels be bright?). Charming, but nothing I could ever use in our house. I had tried painting them, planning on some sort of decoupage treatment. But that was going nowhere fast.

I've seen so many fantastic projects featuring printed fabrics (like this printed burlap from Domestically Speaking), and I just had to give it a try! The biggest challenge was actually finding a good design for a dining room, since I didn't want anything too flowery or feminine. Since even The Graphics Fairy didn't seem to have just the right images, I turned to my own collection. 

A library book sale find did the trick -- The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide by George Hepplewhite is chock full of drawings of 18th century brackets, secretaries, beds -- and chairs!

Thank goodness I had a bit of fabric to spare, because printing on fabric was a learning experience. But oh, is it ever fun! I only had one jam (which is great, considering that the fabric I printed on is a bit bulky), and using the freezer paper was a snap. In fact, now I really want one of those enormous printers and some ink setter. Can you imagine the possibilities? Okay, the printer is probably out of the question, but I may add that ink setter to my wish list.

 Once the images had dried, it was just a matter of stapling the fabric onto the wooden frame of my mini canvases.

You can't tell from the pictures, but our microwave and a poorly placed electrical outlet are centered right below this little trio -- so I'm especially happy to have something to draw attention away from them! Plus, no more bare wall.

Total cost: $4, including the ink and freezer paper. 

Now, what other fabrics can I print...