Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to create decor to see us through the cold winter months in the form of a geometric wall art!

Thrift Store Plaque

When I found this live edge wood plaque at the thrift store, I was inspired! Not because I found Friar Tuck, but because I knew the wooden plaque would make an awesome background for geometric wall art!

Here’s a closeup before painting it white. Be sure to use a primer before painting or an all-in-one paint primer. 

Creative Craft Hop

Welcome to another Creative Craft blog hop!

If you’ve come from Allyson at Southern Sunflowers, we’re glad to have you here! Wasn’t her wood heart makeover amazing? At the end of this post, we’ll guide you to the next stop on this journey. Make sure to explore all the other stops for a wealth of creative inspiration. Don’t forget to revisit us throughout the week to visit them all!

Before we get into the tutorial, don’t forget to get your craft mojo on at Birdz of a Feather and subscribe to our newsletter:

Materials for Geometric Wall Art

You will need:

• Aluminum drink cans
• Bronze upholstery tacks
• Titanium scissors
• Paper scissors
• Curved scissors (to get into tight spaces)
• Paper pattern (print two original and one mirror image)
• Repositionable double sided tape
• Live edge plaque (oval) or circle
• Clear vinyl laminate liner
• Double sided adhesive sheet or roll
• White paint/primer

I love creating with aluminum cans, like this cabinet door art. That chevron was a simple V-shape geometric pattern, but it’s time to go all-out geometric! Not only is our wall art going to be geometric, but the graphic on this pretty aluminum can is geometric too! And that Rose Gold colour? It’s absolutely gorgeous!

How Do You Make Geometric Wall Art?

If you’re a visual learner, watch this video and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Pattern for Geometric Wall Art

You’ll need two patterns. Two of the original buck to cut and fit the pattern pieces (white paper) and the other a mirror image (pink paper).

First, centre the mirror image pattern onto the plaque and mark the placement with painter’s tape so you know where it will end up. On the video you will also see that I crease the paper where it meets the corners of the plaque and cut that away.

Cut up the modern geometric wall art pattern (original) into 5 pieces to fit onto the cans. Notice that the pieces are all numbered for ease of transferring later.

Cut the Aluminum Cans

Watch this video to see the amazing tool we designed to cut cans. It makes the process so fast and easy! However, if you watch the geometric wall art video, you’ll see my tips on troubleshooting when cutting the cans doesn’t go to plan!

Use double sided tape to position the pieces onto the aluminum can. Then cut away all the black lines, leaving just the pattern piece.

At first, I stick the pieces upside down onto the mirror image pattern. Ensure the black lines are showing evenly between each piece. If not, make sure you cut away all the black and refit the piece again so you can see even gaps around every single piece. But there’s a better way.

How to Create Geometric Art

Instead, use a copy of the original pattern to check for gaps between the pieces. In this instance, the the pieces will be right side up. This is a better option so you can actually see how the aluminum can graphics look when pieced onto place on the buck graphic.

I originally did the fitting on the mirror image because I was hoping I could glue this down onto the wooden plaque all in one go. But after completing all the cutting, I couldn’t find a glue with a long enough open time to allow me to stick it all down at once before it dries!

How to Make Geometric Wall Art

So on to plan B: clear vinyl laminate and a sheet of double sided adhesive! This really is the BEST way of making geometric wall art. It’s a similar technique I used for this unique can craft upcycle. However, by using a roll of double sided adhesive instead of double sided tape, it will stick much better. That’s because it covers the entire back of each piece with adhesive.

1. Unroll a piece of clear vinyl laminate liner. The piece should be longer at the bottom than the geometric buck pattern (i.e. don’t cut it the same size). Because you don’t want to totally remove the backing sheet in step 4, it helps to leave it longer so there’s still an area it stick to. Roll the liner back on itself to uncurl it. Then position the mirror image pattern upside down onto the clear shiny side. Tape it down so it can’t move (you’ll see what I mean here on the video).

Turn it over so the backing is facing up. Peel the backing from the clear laminate liner revealing the buck pattern. Only roll down what you can comfortably work on so you don’t expose all the sticky adhesive and attract dirt.

2. Now, transfer the cut aluminum can pieces onto a sheet of double sided adhesive. They should be face up as you see below so the adhesive is on the back. However, at this point, the paper pattern piece – with the numbers – should still be on.

Cut around the perimeter of each piece.

Note that in the video, I place each piece onto a copy of the original pattern before transferring to the clear adhesive liner. However, you don’t need to do that. Just can add each piece of cut aluminum immediately onto the clear adhesive liner right away, like you see below in step 3.

3. Make note of the pattern number before removing the paper and the double-sided tape from the top of the first piece. Then place the piece of aluminum can onto the sticky liner face down. Again, before you stick it down completely, ensure you can see the black lines around each piece. It’s important to place them precisely.

4. As you add more pieces, take care to ensure you can see the gaps exposing the black lines between each one.Tip: only peel away enough backing to reveal the sticky adhesive to keep it clean as you go.

As mentioned above, you don’t want to remove the clear liner backing completely because you need to put it back in place after the double sided adhesive is removed in the next step.

When all the pieces are transferred, it’s time to peel the white backing from the double sided adhesive.

Peel Backing from Aluminum

5. First, use a pin to lift the backing at a corner. Before removing it, dog-ear each one.

Once all the pieces are folded back, start at the bottom and remove the backings. I like do this all at the same time to keep the adhesive as clean as possible. Roll the clear laminate backing onto the now exposed adhesive as you go to keep it clean.

6. After all the backing is removed, the clear laminate liner backer will be covering the artwork again as you see below.

Before flipping the whole thing over, crease the backer about 2″ and put it temporarily back in place. Turn over and position the geometric artwork onto the wood plaque. Now, fold back that 2″ from the top along the crease you made.

Adhere Geometric Artwork to Wood

7. Stick the exposed 2″ onto the wood plaque and press the aluminum can ‘antlers’ down. Reach under to pull back and remove the liner backing, pressing the geometric artwork down as you go. Only press down on the aluminum artwork.

Use a roller to ensure good adhesion – again, just on the aluminum cans. You don’t want to adhere the clear laminate liner; it’s just acting like a transfer tape.

Now you can remove the clear laminate liner (attached to the reverse image paper pattern) to reveal the beautiful geometric artwork!

DIY Geometric Art Reveal

This is what your geometric art from aluminum cans should look like after removing the liner.

Put the original artwork on top to protect the aluminum artwork and use a brayer to ensure the aluminum pieces are stuck well.

Embellish DIY Geometric Art

Of course you can stop right here and leave the geometric wall art as-is. However, I’m going to embellish it just a little more with mini upholstery tacks.

Take an awl or push pin and use a hammer to make pilot holes at the intersection of each line and the angles around the perimeter.

Depending on the wood, it could be better to pre-drill instead. For instance, one of my pilot holes cracked the paint over the original artwork on the plaque. It’s an easy touch-up with a dab of white paint if it bothers you. But I don’t mind embracing a few flaws.

Hammer in the rest of the upholstery tacks where you made your pilot holes.

Although this is meant to be winter decor, just for fun, I added a red nose right before Christmas with the repositionable double sided tape. It can easily be removed.

Isn’t the rose gold aluminum can stunning as geometric all art? Because you’ll enjoy the contents of the can before you even start, you really double your fun with this geometric art style project!

How to Do Geometric Art

So, just to recap, here is the best way to proceed after a few important learnings!

1. Print two copies of the original pattern and one of the mirror image
2. Cut and flatten the aluminum cans
3. Cut the original pattern into pieces that will fit onto the flattened aluminum cans.
4. Place repositionable tape on the back of each pattern piece. Stick it onto the aluminum can and cut away all the black lines
5. Check that there are even gaps between all the pieces by placing onto the second copy of the original pattern and taping it down temporarily. Don’t remove the paper pattern yet from the face.
6. Prepare the wood plaque; mark where you want to place the geometric artwork with green painters tape.
7. Put the mirror image of the pattern onto the shiny side of clear laminate liner and tape it down. Turn it over an peel back the liner to expose the sticky surface.
8. Remove each piece from the original pattern and place the back onto a piece of double sided adhesive sheet. Cut each piece again around the edge. Make note of the pattern number and peel off the paper and repositionable tape. Put each piece face down onto the clear adhesive liner (that now has a mirror image of the pattern showing through).  Roll the line back as you go to keep it clean
9. Fold down 2″ of the liner from the top to crease it and put it back. Then flip the whole thing over and position onto the plaque.
10. Fold back and stick down the top 2″. Then reach under and remove the rest of the liner, sticking the geometric artwork onto the wood plaque.
11. Hang the geometric art DIY as-is or embellish further with mini reupholstery tacks.

Let Us Know What You Think!

We’d love to know what you think of our DIY wall decor! Scroll back 5 pictures to remind yourself what this can craft looked like before adding the tacks! Then leave us a comment and let us know: do you like the addition of the upholstery tacks or would you stop and leave the mosaic artwork as-is?

More Geometric Art Ideas

If you love geometrics, you’ll probably love this felt appliqué that’s perfectly suited for Valentine’s Day! Or try a geometric stencil pattern.  Refinish a coffee table in this geometric argyle pattern! Maybe a houndstooth pattern is more your style? Then check out this tiered plant stand DIY.

Wooden Geometric Wall Art

There’s also a geometric lion wall hanging from our friend Anita. She uses wood to create hers.

Pin Geometric Wall Art

Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!

Creative Craft Hop

Now it’s time to check out this Wine Cork Heart from Jenna at The Painted Apron. When you’re done, please remember to visit these other amazing talents below:

• Repurpose an Enamel Pot Lid into a Towel Holder
• DIY Dollar Tree Sign Makeover
• How To Make A Non-Christmas DIY Evergreen Winter Wreath
• Handcrafted Marbled Heart Shape Dish
• Upcycled Whimsical Winter Birds
• DIY Thrift Store Wooden Heart Makeover
• Geometric Wall Art (that’s us!)
• Wine Cork Heart
• Easy Chunky Yarn Heart Wreath
• How to Make Valentine Pillows with Pom-Poms