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Mod Podge Pictures on Canvas in a Few Easy Steps

Use Mod Podge to decoupage your favorite family pictures on canvas. These canvases are a great budget way to decorate! Make an entire gallery wall by gluing pictures on canvas.

Skills Required: Advanced Beginner. You’ll be applying paper to a stapled canvas with Mod Podge. I do recommend having some experience with Mod Podge to avoid wrinkles . . . and since canvas is somewhat flexible, they are harder to avoid.

Mod Podge Pictures on Canvas in a Few Easy Steps

Have you ever been to someone’s house and just oohed and ahhed at their gorgeous their family pictures on canvas? I know I have. I also know the feeling of walking away defeated when I find out that most canvas photos cost over $50.

Sorry, but that’s just not happening in our budget right now. What do you do when you love the look but you just don’t love the price?

Luckily, we can achieve the same “pictures on canvas” look for much less money (try $5!) . . . hallelujah! All you need is some Mod Podge and images to get your decoupage canvas dream going.

Yep – you can glue pictures on canvas with Mod Podge! And it’s relatively easy to do. Though there are a few things to keep in mind.

I HIGHLY recommend getting your pictures printed out professionally on a laserjet printer before doing this home decor project so you don’t have to seal them.

If you do print them out on an inkjet printer, you’ll need to spray seal both sides with an acrylic sealer so the ink doesn’t smear. You can also use hair spray in the same manner if you want to save a few bucks!

Ready to get started on this canvas idea? Learn how to Mod Podge pictures on canvas by scrolling down.

DIY canvas pictures at Hello Creative Family


Yield: 1 canvas

Glue Pictures on Canvas

Mod Podge Pictures on Canvas in a Few Easy Steps

Learn how to glue pictures on canvas with Mod Podge! This is a great project for instant decor.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Active Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $20

Materials

  • 8 x 10 photos printed on photo paper, laserjet
  • 8 x 10 canvases, 4
  • Mod Podge
  • Acrylic paint

Tools

  • Paintbrushes
  • Scissors or craft knife and mat (optional)

Instructions

  1. Use a foam brush and acrylic paint to paint the outside edges of the canvases and a little bit onto the front. Let dry.
  2. Use a second foam brush apply a medium, even layer of Mod Podge over the entire front of the canvas. Work quickly.
  3. Smooth the photo onto the canvas that you just coated with Mod Podge. Press firmly and smooth the photo with your hands to remove air bubbles.
  4. Turn the canvas over onto your work surface and smooth from the back as well. Turn back over and let dry.
  5. Use a foam brush to apply long, thin, even coats of Mod Podge to the surface of the photo. The strokes with give the photo a textured appearance. Make sure there are no clumps or thick areas and let dry.
  6. Repeat with the other canvases. Let dry for 24 hours before hanging.

Notes

The photos can be printed on almost any kind of paper for this project, though the less glossy the better. They should be printed laserjet to ensure no bleeding of colors.

Did You Make This Project?

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For more decoupage canvas ideas, get inspired with this collection of Mod Podge wall art projects. I’d also love for you to check out these other home decorating projects:

Sarahlea

Thursday 16th of November 2023

How easy is it to Mod Podge strips of newspaper to a canvas?

tammie

Friday 7th of July 2023

I have a question I am hoping someone can answer - I want to Mod Podge a photo collage to canvas - not just 1 photo - would you use this same technique ?

Amy

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

Hi Tammie, yes you can!

Dawn

Thursday 11th of May 2023

I love all these ideas. I didn't realize that there were so many. I am trying them all. I love and enjoy making unique photo ideas for gifts. Photos have always been a passion of mine. Can't wait to try just wish that I could afford it. Cuz my mom wants to do it also but she is sick and on an fixes income. I am disabled by trying to help her. Everyday we are trying to figure out something to do with all her photos. That is all she can do for gifts especially since our family is so big.

Rina Sampson

Wednesday 19th of April 2023

Good morning I do diamond painting and it's on a canvas can I use mod podge on a canvas frame.

Amy

Sunday 23rd of April 2023

Yes you can!

Meghan McGlashan

Friday 6th of May 2022

Looking for advice…I’ve done this project multiple times and they have all turned out amazing with one exception….the black acrylic paint I use to paint the edges of the canvas bleeds onto the photo during the final step. I have even tried letting the paint dry for months before attaching the photo and it still happened. Thankfully all of the photos I have done so far are black and white so it’s not that noticeable, but what am I doing wrong?

Tracy

Tuesday 21st of November 2023

@Amy, do you seal with hairspray then midge podge on canvas?

Amy

Friday 6th of May 2022

Hmmmm . . . that sounds strange. Acrylic paint doesn't bleed so it's probably the photo! If the photos are inkjet and not sealed, they will bleed.

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