1. Scour Pinterest.
I’m not saying this because I think you’re going to find gold there. I’m saying that for every sorority girl’s poor attempt at a good design, or bad design with a good concept: you can get an idea for your perfect canvas. I have an entire board filled with dead end links, Etsy advertisements, and poorly executed arrows and angel wings. It’s how I got most of my ideas!
2. Build your Prints on the Computer
Powerpoint, Word, whatever. Just get your fonts to the right size on the computer and print them out. Tracing them onto your canvas will make your job infinitely easier.
3. Think Color Scheme
I get it, Wine and Silver Blue. We love those colors, however tacky we thought they were in the first place. KD? Want to tell me more about your green shell Lilly print? By all means! But remember that this doesn’t have to translate into every craft or canvas you make. You can do fun different colors that your Big, Little, GrandBig–hell even your chemistry professor loves. Branch out, and be sure to look at a color wheel before trying to match a bright orange with a pale yellow. Keep in mind the intensity and brightness of all colors in a palette.
4. Consider Sizing
Don’t make helper words overly big, don’t get too close to the edges of the canvas, Don’t stay too small and have a huuuuuge empty border around the sides. Fill empty space with patterns, flourishes, or cute mascots. Think about dimensions to avoid making your letters too big (and be sure to trace them first too!)
5. Think in Layers
Lay down a base coat first, don’t worry you’ll still be able o see the pencil through it. Work your way up in layers and be sure to keep tricky things like metallic paints away til the very end, as they’re incredibly hard to paint over with any light color.
6. Work Slowly
Just relax and listen to the radio or watch TV or even have your little quiz you on your econ material while you work. It’ll make everything easier. and more fun.
7. Let EVERY Layer Dry
Don’t get sucked into the fun only to break out the glitter before that last layer of paint was finished trying. The slightest bit of tackiness (even if it didn’t stick to your finger) will mean the glitter will be there forEVER. Think about it like your nails, you wouldn’t start the next layer of nail polish before the first was done drying right? Okay, well at least no self respecting manicurist would. It could lead to ugly bumps and dents in the paint that do NOT look cute. It’s also helpful to keep layers thing for the same reason, or else you’ll be sitting around with your hairdryer begging the white to dry so you can start adding words.
8. Look at the Big Picture
Always remember that a canvas across the room looks much better than one up close. While it’s nice to get everything right, that barely ever happens. Uneven borders can be fixed with outlines of gold or black, and organic shapes don’t have to be perfectly symmetrical, but once it’s up on the other side of the room, the canvas will look stunning regardless. So while it’s nice to play perfectionist, definitely don’t overthink it.
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