Photo to Canvas

So, I have kids.  This means I have TONS of pictures and my house is more than cluttered with traditional framed displays.  This also means that my small hall wall is smeared with so many mystery stains that I'd be afraid to even learn what they are.  So, I see this idea on Pinterest to create large "canvas photos" using actual photos and Mod Podge.  Sold.  I picked up several 8x10 and 11x14 canvases at Hobby Lobby.  Roughly $6 for a pack of 2 (depending on size).  They often have these on sale 50% off too.  Anywho....

Scored my enlargements in the mail and after a day or so of weighing them down to get the curve out (the came in a canister, not that you care, but I felt like I needed to add this fact for some reason), I began.
The pin I saw involved three pictures "canvased", then attached with and hung by ribbon with the edges covered in scrapbook paper.  Call me minimalist, but the paper was too busy for me so I decided to paint the edges.  I painted them black, and trimmed my picture.

Here's the first negative.  I don't scrap/scrapbook/paper craft/whatever so I own the cheapest trimmer HL sold.  It was nowhere near big enough to cut these 11x14's.  So I trimmed by hand...with my kitchen scissors b/c I was too impatient to wait for my craft ones to turn up (again, see "have kids" above).

Picture "trimmed", I Mod Podged the back with a thick coat, and also MP'd the canvas itself.  Once I placed the picture onto the canvas (I don't need to say MP side down do I?) I used wax paper (it's the first thing I thought of for whatever reason) to put on top and use to smooth it out without fingerprinting the picture up.
At this point I'd "say" wait 5-10 minutes for the MP to set but I probably actually waited more like 1-2 minutes (again, impatient).  Then I applied a coat of MP over the top of the photo (in case you've never MP'd, it's milky at first but dries clear).  I used gloss finish because it's what I had b/c I traditionally will always choose gloss when it's an option.  I would say matte would probably look more natural with the canvas though.  After this dried I did one more coat of MP, let it dry, then painted in around the edges of the picture where white canvas showed through.  Another negative here is that the glossy MP shone glossy over the black painted areas when dry.  I probably should have MP'd over all the black edges but I didn't.
The second canvas was a much lighter photo overall, and I didn't mean to not paint the edges, I was just holding off until I finished MP'ing as to prevent the gloss problem mentioned above.  When I was done with this one I decided not to paint it.  I plan to do a display of four 11x14s total, one of each kid and one of all three of them.  Figure I'll do 2 painted, 2 not and alternate in the display.  :-)

I have two of four finished (again, see "have kids").  May have all four hung before the littlest (9months) gets to Kindergarten.

Overall I'd give this pin two thumbs up.  Easy, fairly inexpensive, and looks great.

Voici!