Painted Canvas Scrapbook Paper

What is Canvas Scrapbook Paper?

Canvas or textured paper is a matted, heavyweight paper used to create a different kind of scrapbook page. Some types of canvas paper can be used with digital scrapbooking, while others are made solely for scrapbooking by hand. You can purchase the paper with the designed already embedded on it, or you can create your own. Some designs already printed on canvas paper include:

• Wedding or other holidays
• Textured styles
• Digitally painted pages

Make Your Own Painted Canvas Scrapbook Paper

There are many ways to create your own painted canvas paper for your scrapbook. It all depends on what the theme of your scrapbook is and the look you are trying to create. Some ideas for making your own include:

• A child's hand prints can be painted on lightly and allowed to dry. This can create a backdrop for numerous projects such as a child's school scrapbook, a gift for Grandma on Mother's Day or baby book for a new brother or sister.
• Sponge paint your way to a beautiful canvas background. Warm colors, such as browns, oranges and yellows can be used to highlight a scrapbook with an Autumn theme.
• Rubber stamps in your favorite design can used to create themed scrapbook pages for football, school, or wedding albums.
• Use some spray paint to create eccentric-colored pages.
• Use your imagination and let your paintbrush be your guide. Strokes, swirls or even splattered paint can be created on a canvas.

Supplies

There are a number of scrapbooking tools and paints you can use to make your painted pages by hand. They include:

• Plain or white canvas paper
• Acid-free acrylic paint and glaze
• Paint brushes in flat, angular, fan and dagger styles, among others
• Sponge brushes
• Drop cloth
• Templates (if applicable)
• Practice paper

If you are creating digital painted scrapbook pages on canvas, you will need these tools:

• Photo editing program such as Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Digital Image Pro
• Canvas paper for your printer
• Scanner for pictures

Painted Scrapbook Paper Kits

Having a kit with some or all of the projects outlined may be the way to go for those looking to create their own painted canvas scrapbook paper. Some of the different kinds of scrapbooking paint kits include:

• Photo Decor - Paint Kits have three paints, two foam stamps, one paint tray and one brush included.
• DigiKit - Painted Sassy Brush Kit gives the look of a painted page, but it's a digital kit of hand-painted flowers. It can be used with canvas paper made for a printer.
• Quirks of Art has a variety of scrapbook paint color kits that include six bottles of paint, a flat palette for mixing and three foam brushes.

Reference Books

If you aren't sure what techniques to use to create those one-of-a-kind pages on your own, there are several books on the market that outline how to do just that. They include:

• Painted Scrapbook Pages gives you instructions for 40 different techniques from faux finishing to lettering and stamping.
• One Stroke: The Painted Scrapbook has 13 ideas for painted scrapbook pages. Colored worksheets, patterns and step-by-step instructions are included.
• Painted Scrapbook & Album Covers: 11 Albums, Journals & Memory Books to Paint outlines several decorating designs for scrapbookers to use.