Is it cheaper to make your own canvases?

Yes, typically 30-50% cheaper than pre-stretched, especially for larger sizes. The savings increase with quantity.

What does a handmade canvas cost?

A medium canvas (60x80cm) costs roughly £10-20 in materials when made at home versus £20-40 pre-stretched from a shop.

Jackson's Art, Cass Art, GreatArt and Ken Bromley are popular. For bulk fabric, try Russell and Chapple.

ArtCalcs.uk

Estimate the total cost of canvas, stretcher bars and priming materials.

Fabric Price

Cost per m² of raw cotton or linen, e.g. £6-10/m² cotton duck, £15-30/m² linen (Russell & Chapple, GreatArt)

Fabric Area/Canvas

Finished canvas area per piece, e.g. 0.48 m² for a 60×80cm canvas (before the wrap-around waste below)

Bar Price (each)

Cost per stretcher bar, e.g. £2-4 each for standard pine bars

Bars per Canvas

One bar per side: 4 for a rectangle, plus a cross-brace bar on larger canvases

Gesso Price/Litre

Cost per litre of gesso primer, e.g. £12-20/L for acrylic gesso

Gesso/Canvas

Gesso used per canvas: acrylic gesso covers ~5-10 m²/L per coat, so ~50-100 ml gives 2 coats on a 60×80cm canvas

Quantity

Number of identical canvases you are building in this batch

Cost per canvas = Fabric + Bars + Gesso + Staples

Total = Per canvas x Quantity

Estimate the weight of a stretched canvas including stretcher bars, fabric and paint layers. Useful for shipping and hanging.

Calculate the total area of canvas fabric needed including overlap for stapling. Works for single canvases or cutting multiples.

Work out stretcher bar lengths, cross braces and corner keys needed for your canvas. Includes brace spacing for large canvases.

Calculate how much gesso primer you need for your canvas or wood panel based on surface area, absorbency and number of coats applied.

Calculate how many canvases can be cut from a roll of canvas given standard and custom sizes.

Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.