How to stretch a canvas
Most artists prefer to paint on canvas or linen panels, but they can be expensive to purchase even if you buy them in bulk. If you are handy with a staple gun, then you can make your own stretched-canvas panels easily and quickly. Then you will not have to keep them for “good” paintings, but instead build up your skills using the best supplies.
Here are the steps to follow for making a stretched canvas or linen panel.
Materials
- four stretcher bars (this will make the frame)
- eight corner keys (to hold the bars in place)
- primed canvas or linen (you can used unprimed which costs less, but then you will have to prime them later)
- staple gun (the heavy duty variety, not your office supply!) and staples
- canvas stretcher tool (for grabbing and pulling the canvas while you staple it)
- long ruler
- rubber mallet
Steps
- Assemble the stretcher bars.
Lay the four bars in a rectangle, and manually push the corners together. Secure the corners by tapping with the rubber mallet. - Check the corners are right angles.
Use a set square to check the corners, or measure from one corner to its diagonal corner. If the frame is correctly assembled, the measurements will be the same. - Cut the canvas.
Lay the frame on top of the wrong side of the canvas.
Measure two inches beyond the outside of the frame on each side and mark the canvas. You need this extra width to wrap around the frame. Cut the canvas. - Staple the canvas to the frame.
Fold one side over the frame, and attach as staple at the center of the outside edge on the back of the frame. - Staple the opposite edge.
Go to the opposite side from where you just stapled, and use the canvas stretcher tool to pull the canvas tight. Pull until you see a crease formed to the staple at the other side. Insert a stape at the center of the bar as on the opposite side. - Staple the adjacent sides.
Go to one of the adjacent sides, pull the canvas tight and insert a staple at the center of the frame as before. Do the same to the opposite side. - Continue to attach staples to all edges.
Attach a staple two inches either side of each of the center staples on each bar. Do this again, always moving from the center of the bar out towards the corners. Remember to pull the canvas tight each time before you attach the staple. - Staple the corners.
Fold and pleat the corners of the material and then neatly wrap them around to the rear of the frame. Keep tension on the material, and staple all of the excess cloth to the rear of the frame. Attach staples on all four outer corners. - Insert the keys. Push two keys into each corner to tighten and secure the frame.
Tips
- To tighten the canvas or to remove dents if something has been pressing into it, slightly dampen the back of the canvas with a wet cloth. When the canvas dries it will be taut.
- Using primed canvas or linen is best. If you prime it after stretching, the material can shrink and warp the frame.
- Stretcher bars are usually sold in pairs to make sure you have equal sides.
- If you have a friend that can help you, all the better, especially with heavy canvas and large frames.
