Welcome!  Hope you’ve been having a great day!  Have you ever fallen in love with a piece of artwork, but it was the wrong size for your space?  Today we’ll show you how EASY it is to resize a canvas so you can still use it in your space and love it!  

*This is Part 2 of “The Most Clever DIY Hidden TV Cabinet” post.

To see ALL the highlights from this master bedroom makeover on a budget click any link below.

–EASY No Sew Hemming

–How To DIY Your Own Bay Window Curtain Rod

–Easy DIY Board & Batten Wall For Only $50!

–How To Use Saltwash for an Amazing Worn & Weathered Finish

–How To Weather Wood with Vinegar & Steel Wool Stain

–How To Repair Light Fixture Ceiling Hole

–Dresser Refresh

–Adding Coastal Style to an Orb Chandelier

–Easy Embellished Lampshades

–The Most Clever DIY Hidden TV Cabinet

–Master Bedroom Makeover on a Budget

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original canvas before resizing

The final project in the master bedroom makeover (The Most Clever DIY Hidden TV Cabinet) was almost complete.  The cabinet was built, all it was lacking was the perfect piece of artwork to hang on the front!  My Mom and I found ourselves going up and down every aisle in At Home.  We considered all the options.  Perhaps using 2 smaller pieces of artwork and hanging them side by side.  We were even seriously contemplating using a floor rug and fitting it to size (which would’ve been cool to bring in some amazing texture), but when I laid my eyes on this seascape I fell in love with it!  There was just one problem…it wasn’t the right size!  I decided to buy it anyway and planned to return it if I found anything else that would work better.  

final canvas after being resized

Well it turns out that once I got the artwork home and brought it in our bedroom, I loved it even more!  I’m a pretty stubborn person and will do just about anything to make my ideas work sometimes! 😂  Now I just needed to come up with “The Plan”.  The other obstacle to this hidden TV cabinet was finding the right hardware that would allow us to conceal the TV and slide the artwork out of the way easily.  Once we finally figured out a solution for the hardware we had a better idea of how we would use this artwork, and we were able to formulate our plan.

measuring how much of the canvas to cut down

We knew the canvas would be too tall when I bought it, so we took measurements to figure out how much would need to be cut off.  The plan was to center the canvas on a piece of MDF which would be large enough to conceal the TV.  The MDF would create a border around the canvas, like a mat would in a picture frame.  After doing some math (which was honestly a bit too much for my brain 😜) we knew the exact dimensions the canvas would need to be. 

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pulling off the canvas backing
removing staples from the canvas frame

The back side of the canvas had a border of tape all the way around to cover the staples.  We first peeled the tape off the top section on both sides.  Then we were able to pull the staples out with a painters tool.  Some of them were a bit stubborn and we had to use needle nose pliers to pull them out.

pulling off the canvas backing
marking where the canvas frame will be cut

The hardware that came mounted to the canvas for hanging was also removed.  Then we were able to peel back the canvas and mark the wood where we planned to cut the frame. 

using an oscillating tool to cut through the frame of the canvas
using an oscillating tool to cut through the frame of the canvas

To ensure that we didn’t accidentally cut the canvas, we placed a cutting board in between the canvas and the wood.  We also used one on the side of the wood to retract the canvas back a little and protect it from getting cut.  We used a Cordless Oscillating Multi-Tool to cut through the wood.  The wood cut pretty easily, the trickier part was keeping the blade straight to cut perpendicular.  To help with this, we marked the wood with a speed square on the top and side so we could visually see if we were staying on our cut line.  

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image details what portions of the canvas frame will be cut off and removed and what pieces will remain to resize the canvas

8 cuts were made to detach the wood from the rest of the frame.  Remove the 3 vertical pieces of wood that have been cut off, and you’ll be left us with the top piece and 2 diagonal pieces still attached to one another.  (See above pictures for reference.)

applying wood glue to the canvas frame
image shows the canvas frame cut down to size with the excess canvas cloth to cut off

Once all of the pieces have been cut off and removed you can slide the top section of the frame down into place.  Use a little wood glue at each of the joints.  To prevent glue from dripping on the canvas we folded up 5 pieces of paper and positioned them underneath each joint to be glued.  Then secure the frame with a pneumatic brad nailer.

securing the canvas frame with a brad nailer

Allow the glue to dry before removing the folded pieces of paper.

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using a rotary cutter to remove excess canvas no longer needed
stapling the canvas sides down

While the glue is drying you can measure the thickness of the wood at the top of the frame.  Be sure to include the backside of the wood in your measurement.  This will give you the measurement of how much canvas will be wrapped around the wood.  Mark the measurements on the backside of the canvas and cut away the excess.  We used a rotary cutter, but you could also use scissors.  

Using a hand held staple gun secure the canvas back into place.  We began by pulling the canvas tight over the back of the frame and secured the sides.  We then pulled the canvas tight and wrapped it over the top part of the frame.  We secured the canvas to the frame working from the middle going out to the sides. This allowed us to avoid any puckering.  

folding the corners in to staple down
folding the corners in to staple down

As you get closer to the edges you can now fold in the corners and staple them into place.  Make sure to keep the excess canvas you’ve cut away to see how the corners have been folded on your particular piece of art.  You’ll want to make the same fold so the whole canvas is uniform and professional looking.  For this canvas we folded the side piece in first, then wrapped the top edge over the frame (almost like you would wrap a present).  Once the corners have been folded and pulled tightly into place, you will secure them with the staple gun.

back side of the original canvas
Before
final canvas after being resized
After
original canvas before resizing
Before
final canvas after being resized
After

I will admit I was a little hesitant to begin this project.  Afterall I loved the original artwork (and paid $80 for it) what if I ruined it?  Once we figured out how much wood we were going to cut away the rest of the project actually went pretty smoothly!   Begin by planning out your measurements.  Be sure to use caution when cutting the wood to avoid cutting the canvas.  Nail it all back together and you have a brand new piece of custom artwork perfect for your space!  It really is pretty simple to do!  (My little Miss is, or shall I say The Princess in black is holding up the excess canvas that we cut off.  She’s been practicing her part for a book character convention at school, and costumes are a must.  😜)

final canvas art resized and mounted to the hidden tv cabinet

Behold the finished product 😁  I LOVE the way it turned out!  By looking at it you wouldn’t even know there is a TV behind this beautiful artwork!

resized canvas art mounted on hidden tv cabinet
resized canvas art mounted on hidden tv cabinet

I’m just so proud of us.  I feel like we were little inventors.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some cool hidden TV cabinets out there on the market, and the inspiration behind this project came from a similar one at Pier1.  The objective behind this project was to come up with a budget friendly solution that would work in our space.  By taking this project on ourselves we also had more freedom in designing how the art would slide.  Others out there seemed to poke out into the room when opened, which I wasn’t too fond of, or would even split the artwork in half and open sideways.  This design is sleek and slides parallel to the TV, and it’s perfect for our space.

Be sure to check out Part 1 of this project to see how to DIY your own hidden TV cabinet!

We hope you found some inspiration for your home today.

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pinterest image of completed resized canvas art

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This blog’s content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to recreate a project, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.

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I’m a DIY enthusiast at heart—after all it’s in my DNA, thanks to my parents and grandparents who are avid DIYers. I’m also a devoted wife and mother of three amazing kids who keep me on my toes. My DIY journey began after my husband, Dan and I bought our first home. With high-end taste and a tight budget, I was determined to transform our builder-grade space with creativity and minimal cost. There’s nothing more satisfying than taking something unwanted and making it into a cherished piece, whether I’m restoring a vintage dresser or upcycling everyday finds.

I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learned along the way and helping others create beautiful spaces without breaking the bank! When I’m not hunting for new DIY projects, I love spending time outdoors with my family, hiking, snowshoeing, and traveling.

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