Embroidered Canvas Paintings

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I recently bought a big pack of canvases in order to make a Valentine project that I will share soon, but with all of those canvases sitting in my craft room I started getting the itch to paint something. 

I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to paint at first, just that I wanted to play with paints in some way. I kind of wanted to try something a little different. I decided try combining painting with embroidery.

I thought it would add an interesting element to stitch onto the canvas after painting. I chose my colors of paint and thread, came up with some simple designs and got started. 

Combining random shaped blotches of color with simple embroidered leafy stem designs I was able to fill my desire to paint something and create some fun art pieces with a modern feel. 

How to Create Embroidered Canvas Paintings

You will need:

• 8x10 canvases (or desired size)
• acrylic craft paints (I used FolkArt Acrylics in Conch Shell, Spun Sugar, Sunflower, Yellow Ochre, Green Sea, Faded Jade, and Cloudy Day)
• embroidery floss in desired colors
• paintbrush
• embroidery needle
• scissors

Instructions:

I started by sketching out my designs so that I had an idea of what I wanted to put on each canvas and then freehanded the actual designs. 

Begin by painting rounded blotches of color overlapping on the canvas. Then set the canvases aside to dry. I did 2 coats of each color. 

Lightly draw the design you want to embroider onto the painted canvas. 

Using the backstitch stitch the design onto the canvas, carefully puncturing the canvas as you stitch. 

Left to Right in the first picture:

Painting 1

First paint a large shape in Conch Shell, let dry, then add a smaller shape below in Sunflower. When dry stitch a simple leafy stem design in pale green embroidery floss

Painting 2

Large oval shape larger on the top and skinnier on the bottom in Faded Jade, let dry, small bean shaped blotch in Cloudy Day on the right side, let dry, stitch a branched stem with backstitched stem and lazy daisy leaves in a light peachy pink embroidery floss

Painting 3

Begin by painting a large shape in the middle in Green Sea, let dry, long blotchy shape on the left in Spun Sugar, small circle in a Sunflower darkened with a little Yellow Ochre, let dry, stitch a leafy stem in dark blue green embroidery floss