DIY FRENCH SCRIPT CANVAS WALL ART

I’m so excited to share my DIY French script canvas wall art with you today!

Over the summer, I finally decided it was time to start decorating our bedroom. It didn’t look terrible before, but it didn’t look great either. It just felt unfinished.

I’ve always loved the St. James collection from Restoration Hardware, so when I spotted a massive RH dresser for sale in Boston on Facebook Marketplace for $750, I jumped on it. If you know RH prices — plus the membership fee and those insane delivery charges — then you know you happily pay the $750.

Once the dresser was in place, our old mirror no longer worked above it. The dresser is tall, wide, and very substantial, so I knew I needed a piece of wall art that could hold its own. I started searching for something unique to hang above it, and after weeks — and I mean weeks — of looking, I was completely stuck.

I couldn’t find anything I loved that was wide enough. I even contacted several Etsy artists to ask if they could create something in the size I needed, but the answer was always no.

Because of the size of the dresser, I was looking for wall art around 45–50 inches wide, with a lower height of about 24–30 inches max. And honestly? I did not want to go the DIY route. I wanted to go the lazy route. I wanted to click “add to cart” and be done.

But out of sheer frustration, I finally decided to make something myself — and I’m so glad I did. Not only was it pretty simple to make, it turned out to be exactly what I wanted.

And the best part? It only cost me $74. I mean… what a win!

It didn’t occur to me at the time that this project would eventually become a blog post, so please excuse the blurry iPad photo. I originally took it just for my own visual reference — my dresser drawer isn’t even closed!

I do this all the time when I’m decorating a space. For some reason, seeing a room through a photo helps me notice things I don’t always catch in person. It makes it easier to see what’s working, what feels off, and what still needs to be adjusted.

I found a very affordable blank canvas that was 48 inches wide by 24 inches tall for around $25. I’ve always loved Benjamin Moore Bleeker Beige — it was the wall color in our Texas home — so I picked up a sample can to use as the base coat for the canvas.

The sample size was more than enough, and since I was going for an old, vintage French look, the matte paint finish was perfect.

After the canvas base coat dried, I used a paintbrush to add little dollops of Rust-Oleum glaze in Java Brown. Then I used a rag to blot and soften the glaze around the canvas. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of this step.

I worked on this part slowly over a few days, letting it dry between layers and adding more glaze here and there until it started to look aged. I kept the center a little lighter so the canvas wouldn’t feel too heavy. If I found a spot that looked too dark, I used a rag to apply a little watered-down Bleeker Beige to lighten it back up.

There really isn’t a right or wrong way to do this part. You just need a little patience. Over several days, I kept darkening and lightening different areas until I finally got a look I liked.

Originally, I had fallen in love with a vintage French manuscript print on Etsy, but since the seller couldn’t make it in the size I needed, I decided to find a stencil and try to recreate a similar look myself.

Finding the right stencil took a while. Some of the lettering looked too formal, some looked too large, and others looked too small. I finally decided on this one, and it ended up being perfect.

I didn’t want the stencil paint to look too vivid or harsh, so I went with Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe and used another sample-sized can. It gave the script a soft, faded look that worked perfectly with the vintage French feel I was going for.

All finished!

I decided to break up the stencil pattern instead of repeating it perfectly across the canvas. I wanted it to feel more like an aged French manuscript than a crisp stencil, so I let some areas look darker and more defined while others are softer and more faded.

And yes, this is another blurry iPad photo that I only took for my own reference — I’m cringing a little now. Lesson learned: always take project photos with my phone!

Now it was time to add the frame. Since I was going for the look of an old, aged French script letter, a rustic DIY frame felt perfect.

I chose two 1×2 pine boards, and Brian cut them to size with mitered corners. I sprayed the boards with black satin paint to give the frame a simple, aged look that would contrast nicely with the canvas.

Once the paint dried, Brian nailed the frame pieces together using his air compressor, then attached a hook on the back so it would be easy to hang.

The frame made such a difference. It instantly took the canvas from looking like a DIY project to looking like a finished piece of wall art.

I did practice with the stencil first on an old piece of cardboard, and I highly recommend doing that before moving on to your actual canvas.

The first couple of tries, I had way too much paint on the brush, and it looked awful. Once I realized I needed a much lighter touch, it made all the difference.

For the actual canvas, I used very little paint and kept the stencil work soft and imperfect. I did have a little bit of bleeding in some areas, but honestly, I think it worked with the vintage, aged look I was going for. It doesn’t need to be perfect — in fact, the imperfections are part of what makes it feel old and authentic.

I LOVE how it turned out! Brian thought it looked good without a frame. Hmm… maybe he just didn’t want to build one. But I have to say, I love how much the black frame makes it pop.

The candle holders are pieces I’ve had for a long time and purchased in Northern Ireland, so as fabulous as they are, I unfortunately can’t link them. The white vase is from Amazon though, and it’s very affordable.

I have all the details from this project linked below.

Again, I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I honestly prepared myself for the possibility that it could be a total flop, but it ended up being exactly what I needed for our bedroom.

It has definitely set the tone for the space, and now the rest of the room is slowly starting to fall into place. Hopefully, that full bedroom update will make it onto the blog soon too!

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope this inspires you to try making your own DIY wall art. You can do it!

MATERIALS USED + COST BREAKDOWN

48 x 24 Blank canvas -$21

French Script Stencil -$24

2- 1 x 2 Pine boards @ $4 each =$8

Satin black spray paint -$7

Sample size can of Benjamin Moore Bleeker Beige – $7

Sample size can of Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe – $7

Rusto-olum Glaze in Java Brown ($23 but I already had this from another project)

Paint Brush & old rags (already had these)

TOTAL COST: $74

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