How to Stretch a Canvas

Canvas is a multipurpose heavy material used for many industrial purposes and also in the construction of sails, tents, pavilions and in almost all places where strong and durable material is required. Today, canvas is mostly prepared using heavy cotton and it is way too different than the other heavy cotton fabrics like denim. There are basically two types of canvas namely, duck canvas and plain canvas. Most painters would agree that there is no such pleasure as painting over a canvas. The canvas for painting are available in the pre-stretched state but they are pretty expensive. Stretching the canvas for painting on your own can save you a lot of money. Stretching a canvas for a painting is easy once you know how.

How to Stretch a Canvas Onto a Frame
Aspiring artists who are looking for a low-budget canvas for painting can always learn how to stretch a canvas, the DIY way. All that is required to stretch a canvas for painting, is the correct tools and stretching techniques. As we know the shrank canvas is available in the form of a roll that is really hard to stretch onto a frame.

Material

• Stretcher bar
• Canvas
• Hammer
• Staple gun with 3/8 inch staples
• Measuring tape or a T-square

Procedure
Take four stretcher bars (two of the same size) that will make a frame. Cut them into the size of the frame that you need to make. Lay the stretcher bars on the ground and push each of the corners of the stretcher bars towards each other. Use a rubber hammer to fix the stretcher bars together, make sure that you don't dent the bars. Now stretch the canvas and place it on the ground. Make sure that the canvas is minimum two inches bigger than the wooden frame as we need to wrap the frame by stretching canvas onto frame. Canvas should be stretched from the longer side of the frame as it will help in fixing the canvas relatively easy as well as keep the canvas straight. Use canvas pliers to stretch canvas as they will prevent tearing of the canvas. Always make sure to staple the canvas at the back of the wooden frame. Use as many staples as you need, beginners take more staples to stretch a canvas than the experts. You need to be very cautious when stretching canvas at the side of the frame. Fold the corner edges of the canvas really neatly and over each other and fix them.

How to Stretch a Canvas Painting
Mostly when we buy a canvas painting, it comes in a big roll that is just hard to stretch. We also roll the canvas for the convenience's sake at the time of house renovation and shifting. It gets really a tough job to stretch such difficult canvas paintings. Here are some tips that you might like to follow.

• Measure the sides of the canvas oil painting (length and width) and then buy the wooden stretcher bars which are 2 inch smaller than the painting as you need to wrap the corners of the oil painting onto the frame.
• Create the wooden frame by using the above described procedure and put it over the painted canvas (placed on the ground as painted side down). Fold the edges of the canvas over the frame and fix them with staples. Use as many staples as you want to fix, stretch the canvas tightly over the frame.

It is always useful if you try to do the canvas stretching activity with a little help of a friend. Your friend will help you hold the canvas while you fix it to the wooden frame with the staples.