There is never a shortage of energy with kids, so having some fun activities to keep them busy and occupied can always help! Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a simple canvas painting with vinyl for kids.
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Canvas Painting with Vinyl Finishes
There are lots of ways to do canvas paint and vinyl crafts with kids. This is one way that my kids and I did. They really enjoyed it. We also did another one, that you can find here, that was equally enjoyable and messy.
What You Need:
- canvas – any size will work, but don’t go too big.
- paint
- vinyl decal – I do this using my Cricut, but there are many ways you can do this.
Let’s Begin!
Messy Painting First
For this painting activity, we directly squirted some paint onto the canvas. No point wasting a paper plate or an egg carton to hold the paint.
Once you have selected several colors, make a small blob of it on the canvas. We did 4 different colors. And the kids just want to town moving the paint around.
We used a bit too much paint, so it all just combined into one color. If I had helped control the paint portions, it would have been a better distribution of paint, as seen here.
Optional Glitter (But Not Really Recommended)
We are currently in a glitter phase at our house, so everything needs glitter. So when the painting was finished, it was necessary to sprinkle several pounds of glitter on the paint.
This is very messy as glitter gets everywhere.
But right now it’s required, so we went ahead and did it.
Remove Excess Glitter
Once the paint is dry and all of the glitter application is done, in a location where there is no wind or air vents, lift the canvas up and let all of the glitter fall off the canvas. Most of it will fall off. Some will stay.
Cut Your Decal
I’m not very skilled when it comes to designing my own pictures, so I find some on the internet to use.
If you have a Cricut and want to make a vinyl one as I did, follow this tutorial, just stop before I change the setting to draw, and then proceed to cut. Once it’s cut you will need to weed the design.
You can also buy decals online or at a store to use as well.
My daughter is really into reindeer right now, so this is what we picked.
Apply The Decal
If it’s a simple design, you can just peel it, but I like to use transfer paper. This gives me the ability to make sure it’s in the perfect spot before I place it on the canvas.
Once you have the perfect spot, adhere the decal to the canvas. You will need to burnish it onto the canvas. I find that when I’m just using regular canvas (as opposed to reverse canvas), I burnish it on the backside to help it stick to the canvas. Otherwise, there is nothing behind it to apply the needed pressure.
And That’s It! You’re Done!
Notes to remember for when making a simple canvas painting with vinyl for kids:
- Remember to size the canvas according to your kids’ age. A 5-6-year-old can work on a 10×8, to a 12×10 canvas comfortably. Anything bigger will be a challenge to finish. For example, a 14×10 canvas is too big for a 5-6-year-old. Unless you want this craft to go one for 2-3 days… which you probably don’t.
- This works well in the spring/summer months if you can set up the painting station outside so that you have less mess to clean up in the house.
- If you use glitter, I recommend throwing the excess glitter away. No one will know. And I have yet to see the day where my kids use glitter that is combined with the glitter of another color. I would love for them to use this extra glitter as I now have a mason jar full of multi-colored glitter.
- If you use glitter, you may find it hard for any vinyl decal to stick really well. If this is the case, you can always use mod podge and apply a layer on top to keep the decal on the canvas. This will add another possible day to complete the craft.
Was This Tutorial Helpful?
Did you find this tutorial helpful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
If you liked this simple canvas painting with vinyl for kids tutorial? If so, be sure to check out my other tutorials here.
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This seems fun… Will definitely try it out with nieces and nephews. They love glitter and drawing as well
My kids loved this so much they had to hang them up over their bed. Now they wake up every morning with some extra glitter in their lives.
Glitter??? I’m in! LOL! I’m going to send this to my cousin that loves these projects with her littles
My kids love glitter! I really tried to discourage it, but I lost that battle. But the littles always love glitter!
We’re running out of ideas to keep the kids entertained. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
This is a fun craft for kids! My kids loved it! They keep asking to do it again and again. They have several on their walls to admire and remind them they want to make more.
This is a fun activity with kids! My niece loves glitter and slime! Thanks for sharing.
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
My kids love glitter. I have it everywhere. And you can never clean it all up. We all wake up with glitter on us a few times a week. But the kids love it, so we carry on!
I cannot wait to try this canvas painting on a wet or cold day with my son. Such a great idea that kids will love.
It’s super fun! We’ve also just painted the canvas and used stickers on top instead…. although they do get carried away with stickers!
I spoke need to get a new Cricut just for the vinyl gun!! This looks so fun!
This was lots of fun for the kids. They had a blast, and they really made some beautify designs.
This is a super cute idea that my daughter would love!
It was soooo much fun! My kids keep asking to do it again and again! I’m running out of canvas!
Can’t wait to get my Cameo out and try this with our kids!
You have to do it! It’s so much fun! Let me know how it turns out!
I like how this project involves multimedia, between the paint, glitter, and vinyl. Plus, kids would love being able to select an SVG design of whatever they are into at the moment to really customize the project.
My kids plan all weekend which SVG they want to use. They will search and plan end thing. It’s a whole event! and it’s so much fun!
I never thought about adding vinyl to a canvas. Definitely will have to try.
It is worth a try! And if you don’t have vinyl, stickers work like a charm as well! We have more stickers than we can imagine, so they get put on as well!
I love this idea. I have always decorated the kids’ bathroom with their artwork. Over the years, I have given them paint, scrapbook paper, and mod podge… I never even thought about using my Cricut for this!
I fear we are slowly running out of wall space, but good thing Grandma has lots of room! And I’m sure as they get older the old pictures come down and new ones come up. It is so much fun, you really should try it!
Love this! Definitely gonna try this with my nieces and nephews. It’s a fun activity we can all do together. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
You need to try this out! Let me know how it goes!
WOw awesome ideas and so simple, love this glitter style..
Well the several pounds of glitter still made a great finished product. This is such a great idea that I will be trying with my god daughters.