Kentucky Canvas

It's officially my first craft post!!

This is pretty exciting for me because I'm really proud of this canvas that I did over the weekend.

Thursday was my best friend since birth's 20th birthday, and Friday night she had friends and family over for a dinner to celebrate.

I drove back to Lexington as soon as class was over on Friday so I could figure out something to give her that night (and eat lunch with my mom at Panera of course!), but I was stumped. We've exchanged a decent number of gifts over the years and I didn't want to give her just another random pair of earrings or a headband.

Then as I was sitting at home after lunch, I got in the mood to do some crafting, and I realized I could make her something cute and simple to hang up in her room, and what's better than a Kentucky canvas?

I checked my craft supplies, mixed up a few colors (a mixture of Martha Stewart, and Liquitex acrylic paints) to get the perfect blues for what I had in mind, and got started.

First I found an outline of the state online, zoomed in to make it the proper size, and traced it off of my computer screen using a piece of notebook paper and a pencil. I then went over the pencil with a dark marker, taped the outline to the back of the canvas, held it up to the window to let light through, and retraced the outline onto the canvas using a pencil.

Next, using a large paint brush I free handed the outer chevrons using a ruler to line up the peaks so that they would look similar. There are lots of tricks on Pinterest of how to make perfect chevrons on a canvas, so if you're really OCD about how your lines look and thinking about making a similar canvas, I recommend checking there first.

Anyway, I didn't mind the little bit of variation in my chevrons although it did take awhile to get them just right. But, after I finally got the outer chevrons just right it was time to paint the Kentucky outline. I used a smaller brush and just did my best to follow the trace I'd made in pencil.

After my first coat of dark blue on the outline, I made the middle chevron by lining up the peaks and having it just touch the edges. I then did another coat of dark blue just to clean up my lines.

Finally I looked up a map of Kentucky and estimated about where Lexington would be in my drawing, and used a little bright red paint to put a heart over the city.

I loved the way it turned out, but as I was looking at it after I finished, I decided it would look even better with a little glitter (because what doesn't look better with a little glitter!?).

So, using some Krylon glitter spray I put a thin layer of glitter over the entire canvas. The fully finished (glittered!) product is below, but it's sort of hard to tell how sparkly it is in the picture.

Anyway, it took a little while for the glitter to dry so I couldn't wrap the gift, but I think my friend still liked it! And it got me excited for all the Christmas crafts I hope to make this winter!