Custom City Canvas

I've always liked the art that has city names on it.  It's very modern and graphic - just our style.  I didn't want to pay $300 and up for things like this or this - plus, every one I found would have a random I hadn't been to (or didn't care for).

So, I did what any 8-months-pregnant lady does - I made one!

I got a large canvas at Michaels with a 40% off coupon (their canvas always seems to be on sale) and a large tube of quality acrylic paint.  I also used freezer paper I keep on hand (for other craft projects).  I decided what cities I wanted on the canvas.  It ended up being a list of cities the hubs and I visited or lived together.  

I printed out the letters on paper in a bold font I liked and laid them out for spacing purposes:

I held freezer paper behind the letters (waxy side facing down/away) and cut out each letter.  I laid them back out on the canvas.  I added some painter's tape guides so I would stay straight:

Removing the top layer of copy paper (the blue letters), I was left with freezer paper letters only.  I removed the tape guides, and with an iron on low settings, I ran the iron over the paper slowly so the waxy side stuck to the canvas.  Be sure the iron is clean!

I first tried using a roller to paint over the letters, but the texture made the coverage uneven.  I switched to a 2" brush to finish the canvas.  Once I painted two coats I peeled off the letters (I got excited with the U and the L below):

Taa daa!!! The letters didn't turn out perfect - some letters didn't stick all the way down, but I like the imperfection.  Most of the expensive store options are a bit imperfect too. I decided not to continue the black paint around to the canvas edge - it felt like a frame by leaving it white.

The canvas found a home in our grey/black/white nursery, but it certainly can move to other rooms of our house in the future.  It's nice to have a personal touch to remind us of our travels!

Budget Breakdown:

Canvas - $28

Acrylic Paint - $7

Brush - already owned

Freezer paper - already owned

Can't beat a $35 art project that can be enjoyed for years to come!  

What personalized art have you created?