how to make the viral busted canvas – game day edition!

You cannot EVEN get on social media lately without seeing the viral craft sensation – the BUSTED CANVAS!!! We first saw this concept earlier this year when our friend Leigh Valentine of The Turquoise Valentine created one on her page and we just KNEW we had to create one as well! This craft is SO versatile and can literally be made for any style – the only limit is YOUR IMAGINATION! We were able to grab all the supplies for this at Dollar General and Dollar Tree, so it’s SUPER cheap too!! Let’s do this!!

here’s what you’ll need…

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• two canvases from Dollar Tree: one stretched canvas and one canvas board in the same size (we used 8×10)
• re-fabbed scissors
• re-fabbed hot glue gun/hot glue
• mod podge
• game day football sign
• football paper food trays
• scrapbook or wrapping paper

Blaize is playing football this year for the first time and he is absolutely LOVING it!! When we saw these football-themed food trays at Dollar General, we KNEW this would be PERFECT for our busted canvas project!!!! Although we didn’t use the actual trays for the project, the green liners that were included in the package looked like a football field and made the best backdrop for the image that would be showing through the busted canvas!

We also grabbed this shelf sitter (which was adorable on its own!) and did a makeover on it to personalize it for the focus of our canvas!

First, we removed the “game day” base and then did a light sanding so the paint would adhere.

We used SEVERAL coats of brown paint to cover up those white details!!

After that, we repainted the football details and Blaize’s football jersey number!

Don’t stress if your painting isn’t “perfect!” We used a whimsical style!

While the paint was drying on the football, we started work on the background. These tray liners are so stinkin’ cute and literally a PERFECT background!!!

Using the flat canvas, we traced the size onto the tray liners so that we could cut it to the exact size.

We then cut off the excess paper and, using Mod Podge, secured it to the flat canvas board. 

A blow dryer sped up the process and help to smooth out all of the bubbles!

After that dried, we used hot glue to attach the football to the field background on the flat canvas.

The next step in the process was to prepare the stretched canvas! We started by choosing a cute scrapbook paper design that had green polka dots that matched Blaize’s school color!

Using the same process as we used on the flat canvas, we trimmed the paper to size, slapped a little Mod Podge on there, then attached the paper! We used that blow dryer again, because nobody’s got time to wait for all that drying!!!

The back side of the stretched canvas is what is going to show through on the underside where your canvas is “busted.” We had a roll of gold wrapping paper (gold is also in his team colors!) and it worked perfectly! You know the drill by now – measure, cut to size, and then Mod Podge onto the BACK side of the stretched canvas!

When we blow-dried this gold wrapping paper, it kind of crinkled and it looked so cool!

We added a quick coat of green around the outer edges of the stretched canvas to give it a more finished look!

The final step is “busting” your canvas! We used a utility knife to score the back of the stretched canvas. Be sure you protect your table!!!

Next, we folded back each of the sections and secured them with hot glue to create the “busted canvas!”

We curled some all the way over, but we preferred the folded look a little better for this project! 

The final step was to use hot glue to secure the stretched canvas on top of the flat canvas so that the design showed through the middle!! A few Scrabble tiles completed the look! How cute is that?!?!?!

This was a SUPER fun project to show off OUR favorite player!!! Let us know if you give it a try!!!!

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Last Updated on September 8, 2024