DIY Plaster Art

When I moved into my latest house, I knew that the bathroom was going to be a total gut job. I replaced absolutely everything in there! But today I don’t want to talk about all the big renos. I want to talk about the DIY plaster art I did to finish the whole thing off.  

I wanted some art for the back wall, but I was having a hard time finding what I wanted in store.  Nice art pieces are so expensive, and the colors were just never quite right. So I decided to solve this problem like I always do, and DIY something that would be perfect for the space! 

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Step by Step Instructions to Make DIY Plaster Art

I decided to DIY some canvas art.  I used a canvas that somebody else had previously painted, and I just covered up the pinks with white spray paint to give myself a totally blank canvas!

Cover the canvas with joint compound to create texture

I decided to do a textured art piece. So I covered the entire canvas with joint compound, spreading it with a pallet knife. I used a few different size and shaped pallet Knives and just played around with the texture until it felt right.

add color to joint compound for visual appeal

Then I got out some old sample cans of paint colors that I knew I would love and mixed them with the joint compound so they would go onto the canvas the same way. 

Then I just started playing with paint! I put the colors on in a way that felt pleasing to me.  The thing I love about this project is that it will look so different for different people, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. 

Once the plaster was dry I decided I wanted some of the colors to be darker so I added some more paint on top of my plaster.

frame the DIY Plaster Art

Once I was happy with the art itself, it was time to cut and paint the frame, which of course I also DIYed! 

Using a 1X2 select pine board that I had on hand, I cut it for the frame. I mitered the ends so they would fit together perfectly in the corners. Next, I spray painted the pieces black (you could use any paint for this) and then used a speed square to make sure the corners were perfect before I attached them. I used wood glue and nails to put the pieces together.  

I put wood filler in all the seams and pinholes on the frame, sanded it all down, and then used a foam brush to touch up the black paint where it was needed.  

Then I put the canvas in place and stapled it in from the back. If you don’t have a staple gun you could also glue or nail it in. 

hang your art and enjoy!

Then I got it up on the wall! I am so pleased with how this DIY plaster art turned out, and how little actual money I spent on it.  Have you ever DIYed a perfect (to you) piece of art? Tag me @designingparkside, I would love to see it! 

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