Cheap art! A wall canvas...

Hello, it's Jo here again, bringing you an idea for some really cheap art! I've recently decorated the master bedroom at home, and went from some fussy wallpaper to crisp, blank walls, one of which was crying out for something to fill a space. For my project, I've used a large artist's canvas, readily available from shops like The Works and The Book Depot. The one I used came in at under £10. I found some tester pots of paint at B&Q in colours to tone in with the accent colours I've used in my room, and, rather than just using paint, I decided I'd add a little extra interest with some words. For these, I've used some Poundland chipboard letters which I painted using emulsion from one of the tester pots.

The first thing I did was to mask off straight lines across the canvas, so that the finished item would be a combination of painted stripes and white stripes from the blank canvas.

I then went to work with the paint! The emulsion went on really easily, and in a very short space of time my stripes were completed. A handy hint for painting the top and bottom sections - make sure the top section is completely dry before turning the canvas upside down (on some newspaper) to paint the bottom section. The emulsion dries very quickly, so you don't really have to hang around to complete this. When all the paint is completely dry (I left mine overnight to be sure) remove the masking tape to reveal crisp, clean lines.

I decided I was going to add the words 'peace', 'love', and 'harmony' to the canvas, as it is in my bedroom, and I have tried to create as peaceful and as tranquil a space as possible!

I attached the painted letters with glossy accents, once I'd positioned them in an arrangement that I liked. The chipboard hearts are also from Poundland. And, hey presto, here is the finished canvas hanging in situ:

All completed for well under £20!