Lenten Burlap Calvary Canvas Art

In my previous post, I mentioned a new found love that I have for using burlap to decorate Lent in the home, as it represents sackcloth used in early Christian penitential sacrifices.

When I picked up this burlap at Hobby Lobby last week, I picked up white canvas boards and these products there as well.  I had a very special project in mind...

The Hill of Calvary has a meaningful place in my heart, not only as the place of Our Lord's Passion, but also the burial place of my dear, late, husband, Chris.  The cemetery where Chris is laid to rest is Calvary Cemetery and it is fitting that he is buried at the top of the hill, as he too died on Good Friday, (1994) sacrificing his life...Defending his family in love.  I never stop missing him, especially as Lent rolls around year after year.

It's difficult to find Calvary Hill artwork so I decided to make my own.  This came from the heart alone~NO skill required but cutting and glueing! (I still claim my craft-handicapped disability;-)  It is very easy and inexpensive.
Step 1:
Use masking tape to outline the crosses on 3 black pieces of felt.  I used an 11x18 size canvas.

Step 2:
Cut-to-fit and cover white canvas frame with burlap and hot glue.

Step 3:
Cut out the felt crosses, using your masking tape as a guide.

Use a few pieces of the scraps to design your "hill."
Step 4:
Leave masking tape in tact to prevent the glue from seeping through.  Use tacky glue to adhere the backside (masking tape) to the burlap frame.

Step 5:
Do you save old buttons?  My mother-in-law does!  We used them to fill in decorate the hill...All colors, shapes, and sizes, to represent all of us whom Christ died for out of the greatest of love.

My 10 yo daughter wanted to use paint to design her own Calvary Canvas.  I was inspired by something similar that my friend Christa did on white canvas last year for Easter...I think she found it on Pinterest?  If I gather the link, I will certainly share it here. {I recently joined Pinterest so I'm trying to fumble my way around there without spending too much time on it!}  My friend Patty also used a similar technique for some cute snowflake art.

Instead of white, we used the extra burlap we had to wrap this 5X7 canvas. (Same procedure mentioned above)

She used masking tape to design/mark her crosses...

Then picked colors of acrylic paint that she thought represented the sky on Good Friday and painted over the masking taped crosses.

It didn't look very attractive until we peeled off the tape when it dried!

This 5x7 size fits nicely inside a large wreath...

But she opted for her room! 

(We had this stencil on hand so she added the word Hope at the bottom...Fitting indeed:)

+Praying your Lent is leading you closer to Calvary, where we find hope at the Foot of the Cross+