String canvas decor by Amanda Jones

Hi everyone :) I am making a big effort to create as much of my own Chrstmas decor as possible this year. I recently had a big sort out in my scrap area and came across this set of 3 small canvases and decided they would be perfect for this project.

So, today I thought I would share with you how I created these string canvases.

First I decided on the shapes I wanted to have as string designs on the front of the canvas. Hint: PICK SOMETHING SIMPLE! I tried holly first. Ha! I chose to do 2 stars and a Christmas tree, so I flipped the canvas over and sketched the design on the back. Make sure you keep the design within the frame otherwise you'll not be able to stitch it later ;)

I selected an assortment of papers from the Christmas Home 6x6 pad. They were the perfect size as my canvas was just under 6"x6".

Then, I tore them into narrow strips. This was fun ;)

Using Mod Podge I then adhered random strips over the canvases.

Once I'd trimmed off anything overlapping the edges I was left with 3 of these.

This next step was the trickiest. I selected the biggest needle I could find in my sewing basket and thread it with thick, jute twine. Then, working from the reverse using the sketched designs I carefully stitched round each star and tree, ending up with something like this.

As the final step, I took some watered down white acrylic paint and washed over the entire surface of each canvas and string.

They are now sitting above my fireplace waiting for Santa :)

Have a wonderful December!

Amanda's Blog