Canvas Material

• Not all marine canvas is made out of cotton. Some is made of acrylics, polyester, blends or other materials. You want to make sure you get cotton for stretching.
  
  

Supplies

• To stretch you will need stretcher bars, an upholstery stapler and canvas pliers.
  
  

Construction

• After putting the stretcher bars together, staple one side of the canvas to one bar, and then repeat on the opposite side. Next staple the remaining two sides.
  
  

Tightness

• Make sure to pull the canvas as taut as possible, using the canvas pliers as you staple each staple 1 to 2 inches apart.
  
  

Preservation

• A layer of gesso needs to be applied to the canvas after it's stretched to keep the paint from coming in contact with the canvas.