DIY 3D Halloween Busted Canvas with Silhouette

I absolutely love papercrafting — and this project reminded me just how much! While creating this DIY 3D Halloween Graveyard Busted Canvas with Silhouette, I honestly thought, maybe I should give up everything else and just be a paper craft artist! That’s how much fun this was to make. Using designs by Paper Beats Dynamite, I built a spooky graveyard scene complete with a 3D tombstone and a skeleton coffin. The dimensional layers, textures, and eerie details came together perfectly, making this one of my favorite Halloween projects yet.

Photo shows a DIY Halloween home decor project of a busted canvas with a 3D skeleton coffin and tombstone created entirely out of cardstock.

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Last year I created several busted canvas projects and it has been on my mind ever since. I had a 16″ x 20″ black canvas that had a hole in it and I’ve kept it around for the perfect project. When I started creating a class for the 2025 Scrapbook Fun Summit and thought I’d share the technique for a card, this Halloween themed canvas started taking form in my head too.

If you have never made a busted canvas before and want to see the process, check out this blog post – DIY Busted Canvas Art: Transform Your Wall Decor with This Trendy Technique where I shared step-by-step instructions and video too!

I started by gathering some supplies in the Halloween decor isles. This was one of those projects that was not a set plan and came together as I went along. I wasn’t sure exactly on what I wanted to use, so I just grabbed things that I thought might work.

A variety of crafting supplies for a Halloween canvas project, including a black canvas, decorative items like skeletons and chains, and adhesive materials, arranged on a wooden tabletop.

Supplies Used for the Halloween Graveyard Busted Canvas:

16″ x 20″ framed canvas
Halloween decorations and accessories
Posable Sketeton
Silhouette cutting machine
Skeleton Coffin by Paper Beats Dynamite – Design #421040
Tombstone by Paper Beats Dynamite – Design #418261
Mod Podge
Paint Brush
Foam Brush
Craft & Glue Brush
Recollections Cardstock
Self Healing Cutting Mat
Utility Knife
Metal Ruler
Tim Holtz Distressed Oxide Ink Sprays by Ranger
Tim Holtz Distressed Ink Pads by Ranger
Acrylic Paint
Liquid Craft Glue – Bearly Art, Tacky Glue, Art Glitter Glue,
Precision Tip Application Bottle
Optional but highly recommend: My Sweet Petunia Glue Press
Surebonder Super Fine Glue Gun
Hot Glue Sticks
Glassboard Craft Mat – use code SILHOUETTESECRETS to save 15%
Paint Puck
Silhouette Tool Kit

I took a lot of photos along the way of the entire process, I’ll share a few below, but make sure to check out the video where I share more on the creative process!

Creative Process – Halloween Busted Canvas with Silhouette

Here is a look at the front pattern I used for this busted canvas. It is a large canvas design so I had to piece 3 sheets of paper together to cover it. Since it will be cut up, it won’t be as noticeable that the pattern is not continuous.
Of course, during the project creation my supervisor, Goldy, had to be right there helping too.

A crafting workspace featuring a skeleton figure & chain on a table, a cat sitting in the background, and various tools such as scissors, a ruler, and a bottle of Mod Podge. A patterned sheet with trees and tombstones is centered on the table.

Once the glue was dry, I could add the pattern paper to the backside of the canvas and when everything was good and dry, then I could cut the busted canvas design and start to curl the edges back. I have found after making several of these that if you “train” the curls back and let them rest, they will stay better than if you try to immediately glue them down.

An overhead view of a crafting workspace featuring a decorative frame with gold and black patterned pieces arranged in an oval shape, surrounded by crafting tools such as scissors, a foam brush, a glue gun, and a ruler on a blue cutting mat. Halloween Canvas Creation

Next up was to secure the plastic chains to the back of the canvas before adding the background layer.

A decorative Halloween Canvas frame featuring a chain design with yellow and black patterned accents, set against a gray wall.

Before proceeding, I had to test it to make sure that the skeleton would be able to sit in the frame.

A decorative Halloween Canvas frame featuring a skeleton holding up arms, surrounded by yellow patterned paper and a chain, set against a gray background.

For this project, I actually made up 3 different backgrounds until I found the one that I settled on, so you will see that the final background is different from the beginning to the final results.

And then came the construction of the elements to add onto the front of the canvas. I started with the Skeleton Coffin by Paper Beats Dynamite. At the time of this project, I was testing the brand new Silhouette Cameo 5 alpha and was impressed with how the cuts came out with this detailed design.

A workspace featuring a Silhouette cutting machine, assorted cardstock pieces, including brown coffin shapes and skeleton designs, alongside crafting tools and a laptop.

I do not recommend starting with such a detailed, intricate design when testing a new machine model, especially for a beginner. This was quite a test for a new out of the box machine and while it turned out well, that may not always be the results.

I followed the instructions from the designer for assembly and it turned out AMAZING! Yes, there was a happy dance and a bit of gloating that happened. And let me tell you, YOU SHOULD! If you create an amazing project that you love, cheer for yourself!

A handcrafted 3D skeleton coffin model created with cardstock, featuring a skull inside, adorned with chains and painted in earthy tones. Various art supplies are visible in the background.

Here is a close up at the top of the coffin that shows all the details

A creatively designed 3D skeleton coffin made with cardstock with a skull visible through an open window, featuring skeletal hands and a rusty lock, set against a crafting machine.

And the bottom of the coffin – look at those details! I doubted myself and didn’t think it would turn out like the designer’s original design. I’m so glad I was wrong. I followed the instructions and it turned out fantastic.

A detailed close-up of a 3D faux wooden box model featuring a chain and lock, with several wooden planks arranged nearby on a clear surface.

I do have years of paper crafting experience, however, I do believe that any Silhouette user can create this with a bit of practice, following the instructions, and the time to invest in creating it. The biggest factor into projects like this is TIME. It takes time for all of it to come together from the cutting, assembly, and dry time.

This element was ready and then on to the next piece.

A small skeleton figure stands next to a decorative 3D faux wooden coffin made from cardstock with a skeleton inside, on a crafting table.

Next up was a 3D Tombstone by Paper Beats Dynamite. I did not take many photos of the cutting process, but here’s a look after I started folding the pieces for assembly.

A gray paper tombstone craft with 'R.I.P.' printed on it, surrounded by crafting tools like glue and markers on a wooden table. Halloween Canvas Creation

I again followed the instructions provided by the designer to assemble and paint the tombstone.

Supplies for a DIY project including a mini tombstone marked 'R.I.P.', a bottle of Mod Podge, a set of paintbrushes, and several bottles of DecoArt acrylic paint in various colors.

The hardest part about these projects was waiting for things to dry before I could move on to the next step. I often get involved in multiple projects at once because I’m waiting for things to dry on one and I can’t just sit idle.

A decorative 3D tombstone made from cardstock for a Halloween canvas, marked 'R.I.P.' surrounded by various paint bottles and a paintbrush on a crafting table.

Once everything was dry, it was time to put it all together.

A decorative Halloween canvas featuring a skeleton, a coffin, a tombstone marked 'R.I.P.', and various skeleton and bone accents, set against a patterned background.

My husband mentioned that the skeleton was too clean, so I had to dirty it up a bit with some Distress spray.

A tabletop scene featuring a skeleton model surrounded by dirt and crafting tools, including a paintbrush and a bottle, on a cutting mat.

Here is the first final test hanging on the wall.

A decorative Halloween canvas featuring a skeleton, chains, faux cobwebs, a small tombstone marked 'R.I.P.', and other spooky elements, all set against a patterned background.

After letting it sit a bit, we decided that the background was too similar to the front. Back to the studio I went to make a new background. I definitely like the spooky graveyard background for the final-final result even better than the first option.

A whimsical Halloween canvas featuring a skeleton seated among dark webbing, bones, a faux coffin, and a gravestone inscribed 'R.I.P.' with a spooky background of a barren tree and mist.

Here are a couple close ups of the 3D skeleton coffin and tombstone in place on the canvas.

A decorative display featuring a 3D faux wooden coffin created with cardstock with chains and a skeleton hand, alongside a tombstone marked 'R.I.P.' and other Halloween-themed decorations like skulls and cobwebs.

I added in some skulls, bones, and fabrics to add more texture and elements to the entire piece.

A decorative 3D tombstone created out of cardstock with the letters R.I.P. surrounded by fake skeleton limbs and cobwebs, set against a dark background.

I had so much fun creating this piece of art that will be displayed year after year. The entire process took several weeks to complete but was so worth the end result.

Do you create 3D designs? It’s one of my favorite things to do and I really should make more time for it.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

A 3D Halloween canvas featuring a skeleton sitting among tombstones and a spooky background with trees and fog, decorated with orange and black elements.

Enjoy !

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