paint a backdrop

Posted on 13 May 2011

You’ll probably recognize At Home’s friend, Chris Olsen, a nationally known home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality and public speaker. We featured his own home garden in a 2010 issue, and we’re excited to introduce him as one of At Home’s new monthly blog columnists! Check back as Chris shares his landscape and gardening knowledge along with his unique flair for home decor and design, beginning with this clever idea for creating a painted backdrop.

Indoors or out, the color and feeling of a painted wall affects the look of the accessories you place on, or in front of, that wall. You don’t have to paint your entire room to highlight a piece of art or decoration. You don’t even have to paint the wall. You can get the look of an aged, painted, even distressed wall, with nothing more than a width of canvas and some paint.

You’ll need:

Acrylic paint for a base coat

Acrylic paints for highlighting- Three is the best number to use; one light, one dark, one a hue that matches or complements your base coat

Glaze

Spray bottle of water

Large (wide) brush

Canvas, stretched or cut on a frame. We used 16 x 20. Stretched canvas on a frame also makes installation easier.

Freezer paper

Painter’s tape

1. Tape freezer paper to any surfaces you’ll be propping your canvas on while you paint. Paint canvas chosen color. Allow to dry.

2. On a paper plate, or roller pan, pour large puddles of each chosen color and glaze. Dip brush into lightest color first and glaze, then heavily spread across top of canvas. You will want thick application. Repeat process with each color, dipping brush into paint and glaze each time.

3. Stand canvas up and spray water directly in the paint just applied. Watch as it runs. Continue spraying until you get the striped aged look you want. Prop canvas up to dry. Although we’re showing this project with a piece of art, just think how much better any decoration will look, highlighted upon its own custom wall!