How to Create a Spooky Busted Canvas with Decoupage for Halloween
Donna from Mason Creations etc. has a new project that's perfect for the spooky season—a fun and creative busted canvas Halloween display. This tutorial brings together hauntingly beautiful rice papers, creepy skeletons, and a unique technique that’s sure to impress your friends and family. Watch the video below for a step-by-step guide, and read on to learn how to create your own spooky masterpiece with products from DecoupageNapkins.com!
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Busted Canvas Halloween Project
Step 1: Choose Your Rice Papers and Canvases
Start by selecting three rice papers. Donna uses two blue papers and a gold one to create a striking color contrast. You'll be working with an 8x10 flat board and an 8x10 stretched canvas, so choose papers that fit your theme. Donna’s pick? A mystical wolf howling on a blue background, available in our shop! Secure the paper onto your flat canvas using Polyvine Decorator's Varnish, which not only acts as an adhesive but also gives a crystal-clear finish that won't yellow over time.
Step 2: Decoupage the Stretched Canvas
Next, decoupage the blue paper onto the inside of the stretched canvas. The slits you’ll cut in the next step will reveal this inner layer, so pick something with rich detail. After smoothing out the paper (a plastic sheet works great for this), wrap the excess over the edges for a seamless finish.
Step 3: The "Bust" Technique
Now for the fun part! After the decoupage dries, use a utility knife to cut a hole slightly off-center on the stretched canvas, then slice outward in strips. Curl these strips back, revealing the decoupaged wolf beneath. The trick to making it look spooky? Darken the edges with black ink, giving the canvas an aged, worn effect. Use baking parchment paper to protect the rest of your canvas while you paint.
Step 4: Add Texture with Creepy Cloth
Here’s where it gets really gnarly—add a layer of creepy cloth by cutting it to fit over the slits in the canvas. Weave the canvas strips through the cloth for an extra dimension of spookiness, and glue the pieces in place using just a dab of hot glue.
Step 5: Paint and Distress
Take your project up a notch by painting the canvas edges black. Let the rice paper peek through here and there for that old, distressed vibe. Add some antiquing wax, like Soot-colored wax, to deepen the aged look, especially around the cuts and folds. This is a crucial step to making your canvas look like it’s truly “exploding.”
Step 6: Embellish with Skeletons and Resin Decorations
What’s Halloween without a few skeletons? Donna alters small plastic skeletons by cutting and posing them to look like they’re crawling through the busted canvas. For extra flair, she casts bats and a skeleton hand using 10-minute resin (perfect for detailed molds from DecoupageNapkins.com), paints them black, and highlights them with off-white paint for a bone-chilling effect.
Step 7: Finishing Touches
Once everything is dry, give the resin pieces a coat of Polyvine Heavy Duty Wood Varnish in satin to make them pop. This varnish is heat, water, and UV resistant, ensuring your spooky scene will last for Halloweens to come.
Ready to Try It Yourself?
Follow Donna's lead by using the products she loves, available at DecoupageNapkins.com. Watch her full video tutorial below to see the magic in action, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive 10% off your next order! A big thank you to Donna for sharing her expertise with us and helping to make Halloween crafting even more fun and inspiring.