Attach the 18-inch stretcher bars to the 24-inch stretcher bars to create a rectangle. Stretcher bars are wooden bars used to create a frame for an artist's canvas. After creating the frame, the fabric is pulled around the frame and stapled in place to finish the canvas. In this case, you will use burlap as your canvas. Slide the notched areas on the corners of the bars together to assemble. Use a level to check that the corners are square.
Cut a piece of burlap that measures at least 22-inches wide by 28-inches long and place on the work surface. You will use this piece of burlap to cover the frame and it will become the background for your art composition. Burlap comes in a variety of colors, including natural, ivory, dark taupe and black.
Place the stretcher bar frame you created onto the center of the burlap fabric.
Stretch the burlap around the frame to the back and, using a staple gun, affix staples along the edge to secure. Repeat this for all four sides, pulling the burlap taut as you staple. Fold the corners flat and staple in place. This will create a blank burlap canvas with which to work.
Cut pieces of burlap, in various colors, into a variety of shapes to design your composition. You will begin the piece by layering the burlap to create an abstract design. Choose a combination of geometric and organic shapes based on your own design preferences. Cut the shapes and lay out the pieces on the canvas, moving them around until you find a design you like.
Hand-stitch the pieces onto the burlap, using a needle and thread and a straight stitch. Stitch around the pieces, about 1-to-2 inches from the edge. As an alternative to sewing, you can glue the pieces on with fabric glue. Pull some of the threads along the edge of the pieces, if desired, for a textured fringe look.
Attach additional fibers to the piece. Since burlap is an open weave, you can weave a variety of wide fibers through the fabric to add color and textural patterns. Use fibers such as yarn, ribbon or ripped strips of various fabrics. Use pulled threads of burlap as well. Attach the fibers using a tapestry needle with a large eye and weave the needle through the fibers on the burlap canvas. Finish off with double knots, concealed in the back of the canvas, or leave the tails on the ends hanging free.
Add embellishments such as buttons or beads by hand-stitching the items onto the canvas in random patterns. Alternatively, attach found objects that strike your fancy using tacky glue. Found objects are nontraditional items you can use with the fibers, such as metal hardware, objects from nature or recycled objects. Found objects will give your piece unexpected elements that will add to the overall aesthetic.