DIY Chevron Art
I’m loving this easy and affordable DIY art project from the talented Jess Constable over at Make Under My Life. She told me that she has a crush on chevron patterns currently so she decided to create her own art in gold and white to place over her dining room table. Jess asked if I wouldn’t mind posting this on decor8, and since it’s so lovely, why not? I am suddenly crushing on chevrons after seeing this!
Materials Used: 3 22×28? stretched canvases (each one cost about $22) Bronze gold acrylic paint ($10) Large, soft bristled brush ($10) 1 roll blue painters tape ($4) thumbtacks nails + hammer (to hang) Chevron pattern stencil (free at Sunset Magazine found first over at Kelly + Olive) Jess gives you the full DIY scoop below. Take it away, Jess!
First, I printed out the stencil three times to get the right length for your canvases. I carefully trimmed the paper to include just the zig-zag and then taped them together to get the correct width.
I recycled some old canvases, I decided I can always recreate the string art look on new canvases, and in the meantime save some $$ by reusing the two I already had.
To transfer the chevron pattern from the paper stencil to the canvas, I used a thumb tack to mark each of the points. I did this for both stripes on the stencil and then used blue painters tape to fill in where the white zig-zag was on the stencil. The thumb tack prints helped me know where to start and stop the tape. You can use anything to mark yours, the thumb tacks are completely optional.
TIP: I found lining up a whole bunch of tape makes the process quicker.
Once the canvas was complete with the chevron pattern, I taped the sides as well to keep them white. I also used a credit card to smooth down all the lines and make sure no paint would bleed into the stripe pattern. After that, I just needed to paint the canvases with a solid coat of paint. It didn’t take nearly as much paint as I thought it would. I painted all three canvases with one tube of paint, and I still have some left over! The canvases needed about 20 minutes to dry and then I removed the painters tape. You can also let them dry overnight, just in case since your home may be cooler or more humid than mine. I love how the metallic gold paint shines against the solid white stripe. – Jess.
If you have any questions for Jess, please ask her below and thanks Jess for visiting decor8 today with your awesome project!
(images: Jess Constable)
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January 5th, 2010 at 6:15am
Great project! I think I’ll be making some for my new living room too.
.-= Margot´s last blog ..1984 by George Orwell =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:07am
This is a fab project! Endless possibilities with color and easy!
Totally crushing!
.-= Creative Coquette´s last blog ..MASSIVE New Year Sale!!! Don’t miss out!! =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:16am
Awsome idea!
very effective and it looks great!
x
http://nikki-inthenet.blogspot.com/
.-= nikkieve´s last blog ..Perfect pony =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:34am
Looks like a fun project. I know the feeling of falling in love with a specific pattern. Thanks for sharing.
.-= iHanna´s last blog ..The gift of 365 Beautiful Days filled with Happiness =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:46am
I love your new chevron canvases!
.-= ruth´s last blog ..Happy New Year =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:10am
Re-occurring patterns are so visually stimulating! Great post!
.-= laura trevey´s last blog ..Red Geraniums, Original Watercolor Painting, 9 by 12 =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:37am
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:13am
Thanks Jess! I think I just found my next project. I have a large wall in the dining room right behind a pendant lamp, and anything with a bold design gets cut up and looks wrong. This will do nicely to fill the space – I appreciate the tips!
.-= Sophie @ Century Finds´s last blog ..The Century Finds New Year Sale is Here! =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:47am
I can see those chevron canvases in a downstairs rec room outfitted with game tables, screening room and bar. It could take the traditional “man cave” into a level of heightened sophistication!
.-= Lydia, Clueless Crafter´s last blog ..Who Your Duppy? =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:55am
I’m loving this project…thinking about trying it out on fabric and making some fabulous pillows :)
January 5th, 2010 at 9:57am
The chevrons are nice, but that table is wonderful!!!
(PS – I voted for you for the Homies. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you.)
January 5th, 2010 at 10:42am
I love how the first canvas looks almost beige,and the last one almost chocolate brown when the light plays with the color!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:21am
Love chevrons, so loving this project. What a great way to start January. Not too hard, but so striking. I will have to see if I can find a wall in my house to do this….:)
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..Thermos Family =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:56pm
Metallics, marble and chevron–yup, pretty much everything I love in this world. I’ve been wanting to make a chevron floorcloth for a while now and this is good motivation. Thanks for sharing.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:01pm
You can also paint over the tape with a transparent medium and let that dry first to make sure the color doesn’t bleed at all under the tape. It works really well!
January 5th, 2010 at 3:55pm
These are so cool and seem really easy — although I was worried about bleeding too. Thanks to Katrina for the tip!
January 5th, 2010 at 4:14pm
Fantastic project! Love the simple lines and gold palate. This would look great in my apartment, maybe I’ll give it a try. Thanks for sharing this!
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Taking Risks… =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 4:52pm
this is an awesome project! i cant wait to get started! thanks so much for sharing
xo
chelsea
http://www.cjstylesblog.com
.-= Chelsea´s last blog ..fav city spots =-.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:50pm
AWESOME project! i remember seeing the free pattern in sunset magazine & this is a wonderful gently reminder to actually use it. katrina, would you mind sharing what kind of transparent medium (name brand maybe?) you would use & if this would be placed on the whole canvas or just the taped part? THANK YOU!
January 5th, 2010 at 7:37pm
beautiful!!!
.-= madesweet´s last blog ..60th wedding anniversary bottles =-.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:34am
more chevron love here!
http://sabbespot.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-contact-paper-chevron-wall.html
love the canvases!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:56am
Miles thank you for that link — I love the picture of your guy and the cat — I laughed at what you wrote beneath them. Too cute.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:26pm
i’m seriously obsessed with this project! it’s such a perfect addition to the room, and seems simple enough to do on your own. thanks so much for the inspiration!
xo katherine aka. urban flea ;)
http://www.urbanfleadesign.net
.-= Katherine aka. Urban Flea´s last blog ..rooms du jour =-.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:32am
Actually, I love the string art idea!! So sweet and simple!
March 10th, 2010 at 4:31pm
What a neat project. Thanks for sharing.
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:16pm
Wow, I so want to try this! It looks so simple but lovely.
Kelly @ Featheredflower´s last [type] ..The Lazy person’s guide to a DIY fabric covered lampshade
February 26th, 2012 at 3:55am
Hello there.
Can you tell me the exact paint you used. I just love it. Way to go:)
February 26th, 2012 at 9:52pm
I am about to paint, and was going to make my own chevron stencil for a window shade in my boys’ bathroom. So glad I was inspired to look online for one. Found this post, and have pinned it to my board on pinterest. I’ll share a link in a comment once the shade is complete. THANK YOU!
February 28th, 2012 at 4:20am
Done. My boy asked for yellow, so it’s quite bright. We love it! Here’s a link to the picture of the finished product:
http://morkenmadness.blogspot.com/2012/02/two-bathrooms-down.html
March 3rd, 2012 at 10:55pm
FYI your template is for the blue tape. The green tape is a bit wider.
That will be helpful to anyone completing the project.
March 13th, 2012 at 9:35pm
Great tutorial. I love the drama of the gold and white.