This was an impromptu project that took me about 10 minutes to do. I was taking photos of things to list in my shop and noticed some flaws in this Harry Potter tee. There was a weird spot near the hem and a hole under the arm.

Instead of throwing it into my “To Be Recycled” pile as I usually do, I decided to deal with it right that second. This is ADHD in a nutshell.

But also honestly that “To Be Recycled” pile wouldn’t be nearly as huge if I just took the short time required to deal with it right then and there.

I decided this t-shirt would be a good candidate for wall art. That’s where my stockpile of thrifted canvases come in.

Thrifty Art Tip: Look at thrift stores, yard sales, and free piles for art on canvas. Even if the art isn’t anything you’d hang, bring that canvas home. You can paint over it, cover it in nice fabric,collage on it, or whatever your artsy heart desires. 

This is a painted on one I scored at the Thrifty Shopper for an odd number of cents. It’s a standard 11×14 wood frame canvas like you can buy at craft stores like Michael’s and was probably someone’s Studio Art project. If it makes you feel sad or guilty to work over someone’s art, this kind of project is great because you’re not ruining the art on the canvas at all.

(Although if you’re using a light colored fabric, the paint might show through. If you’re not feeling emotional about working over what’s on the canvas, you can cover the canvas with gesso before using it)

I cut the entire front of the t-shirt at the seams and positioned it on the canvas how I wanted it, making sure there was enough fabric to stretch over the back of the canvas. I flipped them over, holding the fabric in place so that the back was facing up. I trimmed excess fabric before using a staple gun to affix the fabric to the back.

When beginning to staple, I started at the top and then worked my way around the frame, checking periodically to make sure the front was straight and even  so that the words wouldn’t be stretched in wonky directions and distorted.

I did kind of roll the edges a little so that the fabric was thicker and more stable.

I think in the future I’ll use something like cardboard strips to wrap the edges of fabric around before stapling to get a bit of a neater finish just because I’m picky like that. It really doesn’t matter at all unless you have people who come over and check the back of the art on your walls to critique how awesome that looks.

So, that’s it. Quickie art for your walls made from a neato t-shirt. You can do the same with pretty fabric .

This one is going on my boys’ bedroom wall. The sentiment is truly fitting.