Looking for a unique way to display your
old family photos?
I feel blessed that relatives on both my side and my husband's took special care to keep and preserve family photographs. I like to incorporate the photos into my home decor where they can be appreciated every day. While sorting through photos a while back, I began to notice a common thread -- both my husband's family and mine, for as far back as we could see, enjoyed the company of a family dog. I've had the photos of our ancestors and their dogs sitting in a little basket, knowing that I'd find the perfect project for them some day. Enter the Canvas Corp. Canvas Collage Wreath project:
After she attended the Craft & Hobby Association show in March, my friend Holly of 504 Main introduced me to the incredible line of crafting products available from Canvas Corp. In April I jumped at the opportunity to enter my "Family Timeline Banner"(click HERE for the tutorial) in Canvas Corp.'s banner contest. As an honorable-mention , I received a creative treasure trove of supplies from Canvas Corp. Holly and I recently got together with our Canvas Corp. supplies and put our own unique spins on the memorable wreath that was featured by Canvas Corp. at the CHA Show.
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designed by Sonya Bookout.
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The Canvas Collage Wreath is an easy and beautifully original way to showcase heirloom photographs in your home. You can see Holly's beautiful Family Heirloom Wreath HERE. For my subject of "Dogs' Life" I was able to incorporate family photos, highlights from an old Kennel Review Magazine, postage stamps, and most sentimentally, the collar and tag from our Spencer, who left us for doggie heaven last year.
The project can be adapted to any theme and provides a rich canvas with which to collage your photographs, keepsakes and memorabilia. Here's how it's done:
CANVAS COLLAGE HEIRLOOM WREATH
Materials
- Assorted Stretched Canvas & Burlap from Canvas Corp.
- I used (4) Canvas 6x6, (4) Burlap 6x6, (2) Canvas 4x4, (2) Burlap 4x4, (2) Canvas 2x2, (2) Burlap 2x2
- For Background Pieces: Assorted Scrapbook Papers
- I used the "Black & Craft Mini Dot Reverse" scrapbook paper and the "Chocolate & Ivory French Script" handmade paper from Canvas Corp.
- Photographs & Ephemera
- 3D keepsakes
- Inkjet Canvas Paper (Holly purchased ours at Office Depot)
- Sharp Scissors
- Tacky Glue or Fabric Glue
- Distress Ink, "Antique Linen" (I used Tim Holtz brand)
- E-6000 Industrial Strength Adhesive
- Staple Gun
Step 1: Lay out your canvases.
Step 2: Trim and lay out background pieces.
Step 3: Scan, size, and print photos in draft, on regular paper.
Play around with the layout of your photos and ephemera, resizing and reprinting until you're pleased with the mock-up.
Step 4: Add keepsakes and dimensional elements to the layout.
Step 5: When you're pleased with your layout, and have settled on the final sizes of your images, print them on to inkjet canvas paper. Even for the dictionary pages, I chose to scan and print on canvas rather than using the original paper. To conserve materials, fit as many images on to a sheet as possible. Trim the pieces with sharp scissors. Optional -- antique the edges of each image with a Distress Ink pad.
Step 6: Replace the draft photos with the canvas images. If you're happy with the look and layout, adhere background papers and canvas images to the stretched canvases using fabric or tacky glue. Then, adhere the heavier elements using E-6000.
Step 7: Antique the sides and edges of the canvases using a Distress Ink Pad.
-- Allow an hour for the images and glue to cure before moving on to the next step--
Step 8: Attach the canvases to one another using a bead of E-6000 adhesive where sides meet. Allow several hours for adhesive to cure.
Step 9: Flip wreath over. Reinforce the seams between canvases with the staple gun. This will give the wreath more stability.
Finished!