Make Your Own Photo Canvas

CanvasesBy now, most of us have seen photo canvases either online or on TV that you can order from a service that will print your high res image on canvas and then wrap it on a frame and send it to you. The advantage of this service is that it is generally less expensive than having your photo printed at a large size and then framed by a traditional framing services (at least here in NYC). The disadvantage is that they are still not that cheap and that you’re only dealing with them online and therefore can’t be guaranteed the exact results that you want. There are limited canvas sizes and you have that much control placement of the image–they generally just center the uploaded photo as is.

A few weeks ago, I got an offer on LivingSocial for discounted photo canvases, so I tried them. I got my canvases last week (above) and they are very sharp. However, I had asked for the yellow lily picture to be mirror wrapped (where they reflect out the edges of the photo and wrap that around the frame) to preserve the photo’s original proportions, and instead, it came gallery wrapped (where you lose the 1.5 inches of the edge of the photo since it’s wrapped around the canvas)*. Bummer. Plus, even at deep discount, each 11 x 14″ canvas was about $30 plus about $12 in shipping.

Here’s a quick DIY version that allows you to play around with placement and will cost you about $25:

Update: Because of the website reformat, I’ve lost some of the photos on the site including the ones that used to be above. 

  • Supplies: a ruler (or measuring tape and straight edge), a pencil, a hot glue gun, a photo printed up as a poster (CVSPhoto has great prices and a quick turn-around time, but I’m sure your local photo place can do this too; tip: look for a coupon code before ordering), a canvas that is at least 4″ narrower and 4″ shorter than your image. For mine, I got the 20 x 30″ poster and reused a canvas I already had that was 16 x 16″ and 1″ deep.
  • Lay out your poster and place the canvas on top to see which area you want to end up using.
  • Once you’ve decided where the canvas goes, measure the distance from the edge of the poster to the edge of the canvas. You’ll want to do this from at least two edges so you now how to replicate it on the back of the poster.
  • Using those measurements, you’ll want to mark the back of the poster with a rectangle the size and location of your canvas.
  • Then mark out the extra room for the edges of your canvas. Tip: mark out a 1/4 more than the depth of your canvas, since the fold over the edge of the canvas will take up some extra space. You’ll want it to look something like the image on the right.
  • Cut your poster along the outline of this shape. Using your straight edge, run your fingernail (or a butter knife) along the lines where you’ll fold the edges up. This will help make it easier to fold the poster.
  • Run a bead of hot glue along an edge of the canvas and glue the poster’s corresponding edge to it. Repeat all the way around.
  • Hang on your wall and enjoy!

*The company did react quickly to my e-mail and are sending me a new one done to the correct specs.