Creating Handmade Canvas Wall Art as a Gift
As a gift idea, and very much as a crafter, I made my son and his partner a set of three canvases for their home. I’ve made them Christmas-themed gifts in the past - including a 3D advent calendar featuring themed papers and decorations - but this time I wanted to create a different kind of keepsake. Something that would quietly belong in their space; mixed media wall art designed to live in their home rather than sit as a seasonal decoration.
The theme for these pieces was led more by colour, imagery and overall vibe than by anything literal. I let the rice papers and ephemera guide the direction, focusing on mood rather than a specific story. It was about creating something a little different from what they might have expected.
Working on three canvases at once changes the creative process. Decisions about colour, texture and placement have to work both individually and collectively. I repeated elements across the set -not identically, but rhythmically - allowing each canvas to stand on its own while still feeling part of a whole.
The main backgrounds for each canvas were created using Ciao Bella Paper rice papers - Blue Note Collection. I used two A4 sheets in total, splitting the imagery across all three canvases. If you’re curious about the papers I used, I’ve linked them below:
Where there were gaps, I added blue acrylic paint, trying to colour-match it as closely as possible to the blue within the papers.
The fun part for me was bringing the ephemera pieces into play, tying the imagery into the background and layering elements on top of each other. I edged the pieces with the same blue paint to make them feel even more cohesive. I also added a few white paint splats - because, for me, a piece often isn’t finished without a splat or two.
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The three canvases have now been hung and it’s lovely to see them in place. I did giggle when I realised they’d been put up in the downstairs cloakroom, but that was their choice - and I’m genuinely pleased they’re displayed. Why shouldn’t a cloakroom have art?
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I love the idea that these canvases now live quietly in their home, doing exactly what they were meant to do - simply being part of the space.
P.S. When I say downstairs cloakroom, I do of course mean the downstairs loo - it sounds far grander than it actually is! But why shouldn’t a loo have art?
Until next time, take care,
xxx
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