3 Easy Steps for Repurposing Old Canvas Art

I found this oversized art for $14.99 and was originally drawn to the frame only. But over time, I didn't' have the heart to paint this old canvas...even if it did represent old 1960's reproduction art you'd find in motels. I give old pieces "a chance" before I tackle them with a paint brush. The seascape grew on us...so I found a temporary solution by creating "new" art that I can change with the seasons, and still display the seascape if we want to at a later date.
Backgrounds can be changed with each season.
I found this reproduction art from the 1960's. At first my instinct was to cover the canvas permanently...but I hung the piece in its original form over my mantel for several months before I repurposed it.
Here it is before. As a family we decided the gold frame wasn't quite working with our decor. So I opted to paint the frame only...yet still retain the seascape image to display at a later date.


Step 1: PAINTING THE FRAME --> Since I was salvaging the original art, I taped it off carefully...and drybrushed the frame to a color that blended with my decor yet still complemented the art. For $14.99, this oversized frame was a steal.


Step 2: COVER THE CANVAS with a BACKGROUND IMAGE (Temporarily or permanently). Using a tape measure and exacto knife. I cut this barnwood paper to-size to cover the canvas. I did not want a permanent solution because as a family, we all decided that we liked the original art (which has almost no value) but the seascape was something that we wanted to display again. If you want to permanently cover the art, then you can Mod Podge. (where to buy the paper is in the blog post). Because I wanted only to temporarily cover my canvas, I sprayed the back of this paper with repositionable adhesive spray. This way I can easily remove the barnwood look, change it...or even display the original seascape again.


Step 3: Come visit the blog to see the final result!


Full home tour and all of my sources are in the link below.
In order to dry brush the frame, I lightly taped off the image, then painted the frame. Then carefully removed the tape.
The end result!
I tacked down this image with repositionable spray so it would be removable -- and I could still display the original seascape.
Come visit SnazzyLittleThings.com for the final reveal and information on where to buy the supplies!
Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Lst9777247 Lst9777247 on Oct 28, 2016
    How did you get the wreath to stay put?
  • Mam22553953 Mam22553953 on Jul 07, 2017

    Nicely done. My question: please tell me about the wall behind the art. What is it made of and where do you purchase that material? I so love the design!!!

  • Lori Lori on Nov 08, 2017

    Where can i buy this

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  • Sherry Sherry on Feb 12, 2023

    Great idea! Two way look! Both would look great in your lovely room!

    thanks for the idea!

  • Kar92908879 Kar92908879 on Feb 24, 2024

    Nice! I visited your blog/site and didn’t locate the reveal of the painted (updated) seascape and frame. Did you post that on your site?

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