Looking for a fun and simple painting project for your home? These painterly monogram craft letters are a fun way to add color and texture to any room!
I have always been a bit of an art nerd. I especially love going to museums and galleries and being able to see the artists’ brushstrokes up close. Thick, visible strokes tend to make my heart skip a beat.
For this project, I wanted to capture that thick, impasto painting feeling on canvas letters for a simple, colorful DIY home decor project.
Supplies needed to make your own monogram craft letters:
Step One – Base Layer of Brushstrokes.
Start off by selecting the colors you want to use on your canvas letter. You can use ready made colors or mix your own.
Next, use a flat brush to lay down a base layer of strokes all over your canvas. Allow colors to dry before layering over them to avoid mixing on the canvas. I found it easiest to add similar colors at the same time and then allow them to dry a bit before moving on to contrasting colors.
This base layer helps to cover up the white canvas and ensure color shows through behind the thick strokes we will add next.
Step Two – Add Thick Strokes with Palette Knife.
After your base layer of strokes has dried, use your palette knife to scoop some paint off of the palette, and then scrape it down onto the canvas. I really wanted a thick, textured, impasto look, so I used a lot of paint with each stroke. The palette knife makes it easy to get that thick, textural stroke.
To avoid too much mixing on the canvas, you will need to let layers dry for several hours before applying more layers. Keep applying thick strokes of paint until you get the look you want.
I just love that texture! It’s so much fun.
You can create whole words using these brushstroke monogram craft letters or just make stand alone monograms like I did. They add instant color and vibrancy to any gallery wall or shelf.
What do you think of these textured brushstroke letters? Would you give this a try?
More Project Ideas
Alexis Middleton is a lifelong crafter/DIYer and blogger at Persia Lou. She started crafting at a young age. As a girl, she spent summers with her grandmother crocheting baby doll afghans, making coasters out of plastic canvas and yarn, and canning apricot jam. Today, Alexis spends a lot of time dreaming up and working on projects for her family’s home. She loves mixing traditional crafting techniques with a more modern aesthetic.
Leave a Reply