Okay so my goal is to try and make the backyard cozy and adding textiles & artwork helps do the job! I want to hang a piece of artwork on our privacy screen to complete the space. I’ve been seeing this DIY canvas art with drywall compound all of the internet so thought I’d give it a shot as it looks easy enough! My only concern was if it would hold up in outdoor weather conditions, but after extensive Google-ing I think I’ve managed to make it waterproof! Check out the steps below on how I created it & let me know what you think of the finished product!

MATERIALS:
- plywood
- 1 x 2’s for the frame
- nail or staple gun
- drywall compound
- paint of choice
If placing it outside like us, here are the items we used to weatherproof:
- Water-based Polyurethane to seal in Satin – 3 coats
- Rustoleum NeverWet Fabric Spray
STEPS:
If you want to see a video guide, I saved a highlight on my Instagram!
- We made sure our plywood was the size we wanted, it worked out perfectly that we didn’t need to make any cuts! Use a circular or table saw to cut your piece to size.
- I used the drywall compound and covered the entire surface of plywood with it! There really is no right or wrong way to do this, it just adds beautiful texture to the piece. I liked how it was looking when I was doing an “X” shaped motion. Allow the drywall compound to dry for about 24-30 hours. It might even need longer depending on how thick you applied! It’s crucial you let it dry fully.
- Once dry, you can either add the frame first & paint or vice-versa.
- For the frame we cut the 4 pieces of wood to size using our circular saw. We had the 2 longer ends go the length of the photo and the two shorter ends stick out (See photo below – before paint) We then used our nail gun and put nails around the entire frame into the plywood, very straight forward!

- For the paint, I used a white, off-white, a very light grey, and a copper spray paint I had that brought the painting to life! I started by painting the entire piece white to have a base layer on top of the drywall compound. I then added the off-white in various random areas. I used the grey along the entire bottom lightly as I wanted my piece to have an ombre effect. I added more off-white around the grey to make it look more natural. I finished off by using my copper spray paint in a cup and putting a couple strokes throughout the bottom half of the painting! It’s easier to watch the Instagram Video – I’m a visual learner!!)

- If you want your artwork to be for indoors, you’re done!! If you are putting it outdoors like we are for the One Room Challenge, you need to seal it. We used 3 coats of the polyurethane and waited about 2 hours between each coat. I also sealed the wooden frame as well! Lastly, I added the Rustoleum fabric spray to the entire piece, all over!! The reviews are so good for it repelling water.
- Here’s the finished product!! It’s the perfect neutral look I was going for and I love it!! Let me know if you give it a try and tag me in your finished product @thethompsonhaven 🙂
Be sure to follow along with us on Instagram for live updates of this beautiful outdoor oasis reno!! Be sure to check out all of the other guest participants & the amazing room transformations to come on the One Room Challenge Blog!

Thanks for following along!




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