Create Beautiful Busted Canvas Art with Decoupage: A Step-by-Step Guide

Create Beautiful Busted Canvas Art with Decoupage

If you're looking for a creative and stylish way to transform a canvas into a work of art, decoupage is the perfect technique. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to create stunning Busted Canvas pieces using rice paper, Fusion Mineral Paint, and Rub ‘n Buff for that perfect finishing touch.

• 9 x 12 Canvas board
• 9 x 12 stretched canvas
• Rice paper (floral, fall, or any design you prefer)
• Fusion Decoupage and Transfer Gel
• Fusion Mineral Paint (Buttermilk Cream or color of your choice)
• Hot glue gun
• Stamperia Flat Brush
• craft knife
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Heat tool (optional)
• Rub ‘n Buff (optional)

You can find all of the materials needed for a busted canvas at Ninny’s Napkins, either in-store or online.

Start by trimming your rice paper to fit inside the frame of the stretched canvas, this will be the rolls of your busted canvas. Apply a generous amount of Fusion Decoupage and Transfer Gel onto the back of your stretched canvas. Lay your rice paper down carefully, making sure to smooth out any air bubbles. Once it's securely in place, set it aside and allow it dry thoroughly before continuing. You may want to use a heat tool to speed up the drying process. 

Apply Fusion Decoupage and Transfer Gel to the back of the stretched canvas, inside the frame. 

Fit the rice paper inside the frame and then smooth it out. 

Apply another layer of Decoupage Gel over top of the rice paper. 

It's important that this paper is very dry before you cut it, so drying it with a heat tool like this Ranger Heat It Craft Tool may be beneficial. 

While our stretched canvas is drying, we can work on the canvas board portion of our busted canvas. 

Rice paper often has manufacturer information on the bottom or top. 

With scissors, remove any writing from the bottom of your rice paper. Using the same brush, apply a generous layer of Fusion Decoupage and Transfer Gel to the front of the canvas board, and then lay your main rice paper down and smooth it out. Apply a thin coat of the Decoupage Gel over the top as well, ensuring all edges are stuck down well and there are no wrinkles or bubbles. Rice paper is very forgiving, so you can lift it and lay it down again if it is not straight. 

Apply a generous coat of Fusion Decoupage and Transfer Gel to the entire front of the canvas board. 

Carefully center your rice paper and lay it flat. Smooth it out with your hands. You can lift it and lay it back down if necessary. 

Apply another coat of Decoupage Gel over top of the image to protect it. 

Set the canvas board aside to dry while we paint the stretched canvas. We recommend using Fusion Mineral Paint. Paint the front and edges of the canvas and any exposed areas of wood. You'll want to do two coats. 

It's important to paint the exposed wood as you will likely see it once we cut the canvas.

While not totally necessary, we like to paint this part of the frame as well. 

Fusion Mineral Paint has excellent coverage, even on the first coat. 

The paint and glue need to be very dry for the next step. If you don't own a heat tool, we recommend leaving it overnight to dry. 

Pro Tip: One coat of Fusion Mineral Paint is typically enough for good coverage, but we like to apply 2 coats to be sure. 

Once your rice paper and paint are completely dry, it’s time to mark the canvas for cutting. Use a ruler to draw an X in the center of the canvas, then divide each section into smaller parts. These will guide your cuts as you prepare to roll back the edges of the rice paper for your busted canvas. 

This ruler fits perfectly from corner to corner, which makes finding our centre very easy. 

Once you've found the centre by drawing an X from corner to corner, draw another line from top to bottom and side to side, passing through the centre mark. 

Cut each section carefully with a sharp craft knife, leaving about half an inch from the edge of the canvas. Once the X cuts are made, you’ll use scissors to cut the other sections into eight pieces. These pieces will be rolled back to reveal the canvas and create a beautiful layered look.

Use a sharp knife to cut the X. You'll find it easier to make the remaining cuts with scissors. 

Once all of your cuts have been made, your canvas should look something like this. 

With the pieces cut, it’s time to start rolling. There are many ways to roll - loosely, tightly, curling the ends under or not. The choice is up to you! Use a glue gun to attach the rolls to the painted side of the canvas. Start from one corner, applying a small amount of glue and holding it in place until it sets. Continue rolling each section, ensuring that the edges are secured with a dab of glue.

For this canvas we chose a tight roll, but you can roll it looser if you prefer. 

Apply a dab of hot glue and then hold it for about 30 seconds. 

Pro Tip: When gluing, work quickly to avoid the glue hardening before you finish. Use a hot glue gun for best results.

Once the canvas is fully assembled and the edges are glued, you can add any embellishments you like. Some examples would be resin castings, glitter, die cuts, metal embellishments, bows. The only limit is your imagination!

We chose to add a touch of elegance with Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Gold. This step adds a subtle vintage effect that enhances the texture and brings out the design.

Apply Rub N' Buff with a rag. A little goes a long way!

Apply it to your canvas edges and your cut edges for a subtle vintage look. 

To apply, wrap a rag tightly around your finger and dip it into the Rub ‘n Buff. Gently rub it along the edges of the rolled-back rice paper and canvas to create a golden highlight. Don’t use too much – a little goes a long way!

You can also apply a bit of gold to the corners of the canvas to add some dimension and charm.

Once all the edges are rolled and the Rub ‘n Buff is applied, your busted canvas is ready to be displayed! You can make additional touch-ups as needed or add more Rub ‘n Buff for a more pronounced effect.

Our finished canvas!

In this example we did not curl the edges under. 

This is an example of a loose roll.