Creatively Quirky at Home: Fathers Day

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Silhouette Gifts

What you need:

A digital photo of a persons profile
A computer with a photo program (in my case I used adobe photoshop)
a picture frame

Bring up your photo in photoshop, and delete your background like below.

Then use your paintbrush tool and paint in the photo. I painted in a bow on my daughters head

Next print out your image and then frame it for a more classic silhouette.

For a more modern twist you can add their name, and place it on a colored background

Monday, February 7, 2011

My sweet husbands Birthday is right around the corner so I thought I would share with you what my kids made for him two years ago. It is a super simple piece or artwork for any age.

Materials Needed:

Canvas any size. (I like to use gallery wrapped canvas' so they can be hung right on the wall without framing them)
Acrylic paint (any colors) or any other non-toxic paint depending on the age.
Brushes or Fingers
A Printed photo. Print size depends on the canvas size. When photo is place in the center you want at least a two to three inch border around.
Fine tip sharpie marker
Sponge Brush
Mod Podge (matte or glossy)

Let's Begin!

Squirt out some paint and let your child get creative. Let them be abstract with colors. Have some music playing so they can move their arms to the beat.

Let it dry. Typically 2-3 hours. If the paint is really thick it may take a day to dry. If you want to speed up the process. Use a hair dryer on Low.

Once your canvas is dry. Take a little bit of Mod Podge and paint a thin layer all over your canvas. Don't worry the mod podge is white but will dry clear. Place the photo in the center of your canvas. Paint another layer over the whole canvas as well as the photo. Let that dry completely. Give it at least 2 hours or use a hair dryer to speed up the process.

So your Canvas is completely Dry. Let's write down why you love the person you are giving this to. Ask your Child: Why they love____? or What do you like to do with ____?and basically you write what they say along the outside of the photo. The best part is to write what they say. Sometimes you can get some really cute and memorable responses. (Don't forget to sign it with the year)

Emelia's canvas says:
" I love my daddy, because he plays with me and is a lot of fun! My favorite time with him is when he comes home from work."
Jude's canvas says: Jude was only 18 months old at the time so I helped out a bit. :)
"I love my daddy, because he makes me laugh and smile. My favorite time with him is when it is just the boys"