How to Make a Wooden Canvas

As far as what to paint on, you're limited only by your imagination. But in this example, I'm going to use wood products that you can get at just about any building supply store. In fact, you can get everything you need to make this painting box in one trip.

For the face of the box, I like to use luan because it is lightweight, very porous and grips the optional plaster finish well. It's also cheap, cheap, cheap.

Masonite or hardwood laminate works as well as luan if you're not going to use plaster but, instead, will paint directly on the wood. Costs of these materials will vary greatly.

If you want to go the recycled route, you can even use cardboard, but I would not use cardboard with plaster, either.

As for luan, it's available in 4-by-8-foot sheets, but many times there will be a stack of smaller pieces already pre-cut to the size that you want. Some stores will even cut it for you, but, if not, you may have to buy a full sheet. A full sheet will make twenty-one 12x12-inch faces with enough left over to make a dozen or so smaller boxes, for a little material is lost each time you make a cut. (Otherwise, you'd end up with 32.)

Luan is available in multiple thicknesses, but I try to get the thinnest possible for this size painting box, which is usually 3/32 of an inch.

For the sides of the box, I head straight for the pre-cut furring strips. They're just the right size--about 1-1/2 inches wide and 3/4 of an inch thick. Available in 8-foot lengths, you might have to search through the pile to find the straightest pieces. Sometimes I tolerate a little imperfection; it gives character to the finished work.

This project will also require some 5/8-inch wire nails, 1-1/2 to 2-inch finish nails or 2-inch deck screws, and wood glue.

And while you're at the store, you might want to pick up a bag of Plaster of Paris if you'd like to add texture or, by contrast, fill in the wood grain for a smooth finish. I buy 25-pound bags, which goes a very long way.

If you intend to make a smooth surface with the plaster, you'll need sandpaper--both 100- and 200-grit.

While I have access to and use a table saw and a mitre saw, the basics will work fine too. In other words, you can use an electric circular saw, a jigsaw or a regular old handsaw. I think, for this project, a Japanese pull saw would be perfectly adequate.

You're also going to need a drill. Pre-drilling the nail (or screw) holes for the frame will make life much easier and prevent splitting. If you have access to a pneumatic nailer, for sure you won't need to pre-drill the holes.

Along with a drill, you'll need the appropriate bit. If you're using screws, you'll need a combination counter-sink drill bit.

You'll also need a hammer for ... well, I think that's pretty obvious.

We'll start by cutting out the faces. They can be any size and shape as long as they're sturdy. For this example, I'll be making a 12x12-inch box, so I'll set up my table saw to cut a 12-inch wide strip from the luan sheet. (Obviously, if you've had it pre-cut, you can skip this step and the next.)

Once you have a strip, use the chop saw (or mitre or radial arm saw) to cut the strips into 12-inch lengths. Oila! You have a one-foot-square face.

Now, we move into the frame parts.

Some people like to make 45-degree mitre joints and, in this case, all the parts would be the same. But I prefer a more "primitive" look, so I use butt joints. This means that two of the opposing sides will be cut to 12-inch lengths, while the other two will fill the space, which will be 12 inches MINUS twice the width of the stock.

So, in this case, the two shorter pieces will be 12 inches minus (3/4 inches x 2=) 1.5 inches, which comes out to a length of 10.5 inches.

If the stock is in an imperfect width, it might be prudent to measure the actual thickness of both of your longer sides and subtract that from the length of the side of the face.

Align the frame corners (mitred or butt joints) and pre-drill where you're going to nail (or screw). If nailing, use a drill bit that is the same diameter as the finish nail and drill a depth just a 1/4 inch or so shy of the length of the nail. If using screws, pre-drill with a combination counter-sink bit. But don't nail or screw just yet.

Now for the glue.

Because the end grain of the furring strip pieces will soak up the glue, it's good to swab on a little glue, wait a few minutes and then swab on some more before nailing the joint together. Gluing will ensure a strong, tight joint that will tend not to crack.

Once the glue has been applied, realign the joint, insert the nail or screw into the pre-drilled hole and sink. Repeat this three more times, and now you have a frame. Beautiful!

Let's attach the face to the frame.

Apply some glue to the front where the face will mate with the frame, position the frame and secure with the 5/8-inch wire nails. Pre-drilling is not necessary for this step.

It's good to have a nail in each corner and one every two or three inches along the frame. The heads of the nails are going to be showing, but if you're using plaster, this isn't an issue; they'll be covered up.

If you don't want to see nail heads, forget using the nails and just glue the face on. But I like to use the nails, because it keeps the face in position while the glue dries.

So ... tahdah! You now have a painting box.

At this point, you're ready to pick up your paintbrush and have at it. I sometimes do prefer to paint directly on the luan, because I like the look of the wood grain showing through as seen in the photo below.

Oftentimes, though, I prefer to create some interesting texture on the surface of the box, which can be done effectively using Plaster of Paris.

Before we go on, you might ask, "Why not use drywall compound?" And I would tell you that it cracks because it shrinks while it's drying. Plaster of Paris cures before it dries, and it does not shrink; therefore, it holds its shape and does not crack.

It's up to you to experiment with the consistency of the plaster. There's definitely a window between being too stiff and too runny. Different consistencies allow for different textures. Right now, my preference is to mix the plaster to a cream consistency; however, it's not stiff enough to hold peaks. If you prefer peaks, you'll simply need to mix the plaster up thicker.

The beauty of plaster is that you just add water and you're ready to go. In my experience, it takes about a handful (or maybe 1-1/2 cups) of dry plaster to do what I want to do on a 12x12-inch box.

For mixing plaster, I like to use a large, plastic yogurt container. It's flexible, and once the residual plaster cures, the cup can be "massaged" and all the plaster will break out, making it possible to re-use the cup. Other containers, such as metal coffee cans, would not be condusive to multiple uses unless you wash them out before the plaster cures.

Once your plaster is mixed, you only have somewhere between five and fifteen minutes to work it before it starts to cure. Depends on the mix, the type of plaster, room temperature ... lots of variables. What it boils down to is you need to paint or rub it on quickly and have a plan.

While plaster cures in a matter of minutes, that doesn't mean it's dry. In order for any primer coat of paint to properly adhere to the plaster, the water must evaporate off so that the plaster becomes porous enough for the paint to soak in and "bite."

I generally lay out my plastered paint boxes on newsprint and let them dry overnight. Never place the freshly plastered canvas on a cloth or towel, as they will likely stick, and it will be difficult to get the canvas off and the plaster out.

Here's a look at the finished painting from the textured canvas pictured above....

If a smoothe surface is what you're going for, wait till the plastered paint box is completely dry, then sand it. Begin with the coarser 100-grit paper, then finish with 200-grit. If it's still not smoothe enough for your liking, you can apply a new coat of plaster, let it dry once again, and re-sand.

Heavier textures are most often created when applying the plaster. You can let it start to set up and use your fingers, a fork, or any other implement to produce interesting effects.