Let's Get Creative!

So I wanted to do something cute that I could make easily to give to someone as a gift. After wandering around Pinterest, I found this photo:

And that gave me an idea. I didn't want to create something where the letters blend in, but rather offset them with two colors different from the canvas. I liked the idea of highlighting a few words in one quote, and here's how I did it!

First you'll need:
-Canvas (I used 11" x 14". You can go bigger or smaller, depending on your letters.)
-Small can of spray paint (You may choose just to use a large paint brush with any paint of your choice, but I think a spray can is much easier.)
-2 bottles of acrylic paint, colors of your choice (Think about how these colors will look against the color of the canvas before you decide.)
-2 foam brushes
-Alphabet stencil (font of your choice)
-A couple sheets of normal printing paper and a pen
-Paper plates or bowls (I prefer bowls, as they're harder to make a mess with.)
-Some spare, large pieces of cardboard
-Scissors
-A small paintbrush or something with a similar handle (see photo below)

I got the paint, foam brushes, stencil, and canvas all at Joann. The smaller paintbrush was lying around the house. In this project, I only use the end of the handle for detail, so you can substitute that for something similar in size. See paint detail below.

The canvas I bought came in a package of 3, and if I remember was $10 or less for the bunch. The info is below.

First thing to do is take your canvas outside with the spare cardboard and your spray can. I used cardboard that was larger than the canvas by 4-5 inches all around, so as to avoid painting the cement (or grass, wherever you choose to paint). Shake your spray can for a few minutes and spray an even coat across the whole canvas. I let my canvas dry for about 30 minutes, but it still had a couple spots that weren't quite dry, so you may want to wait for 45 minutes.

While you're waiting, trace the quote you want to use with your stencil and pen (or pencil) on normal printing paper. Once you've traced it, cut out the individual words and arrange them on a canvas of the same size to see how you want the words to fit. For example, see below. (I actually arranged them before painting, then rearranged them after the canvas was dry to double check.)

Since I like working inside on the kitchen table, I used newspaper under my work space to make sure no paint got on the pretty table! I highly suggest this. Squeeze some paint into a paper bowl (or plate) and you're ready to begin the fun part.

Use only the tip of the foam brush. I like to sort of pat the edge of the blob of paint with the tip and brush it away from the blob, then repeat on the other side. Make sure to brush off excess paint. You don't need much for the stencil.

Once you have the letter lined up where you want it, hold it in place with your extra hand. Gently dab the tip of the brush across the letter, making sure that none of the base color shows through. Again, don't use too much paint, or it will seep under the stencil and become messy. Be sure to get the corners of the letter so you don't lose its shape.

Gently peel the stencil away so you don't smear what's left on it. I like to keep a couple wet paper towels in a bowl next to me to wipe the paint off the stencil after each letter. Otherwise, the canvas would have more paint than I prefer! Let the letter you just painted dry before you move on to the next one. I use the stencil to line up the letters, since they are on a perfect line on the stencil itself.

It probably doesn't need to be said, but you may want to use a different bowl and brush for your second color of words. Obviously it depends on your quote which words you want to highlight and how many, etc. But you can see my final work above.

For the period at the end of the sentence, I simply dipped the end of the small paintbrush into my blob of white paint and dabbed it onto the canvas. Very easy. I did the same thing with the flower details, which you can obviously choose not to add. Try other shapes or lines to accent the canvas. Be creative!

After dabbing the "petals" onto the canvas once, I dipped my brush end again and slid the handle from the petal to the inside dot to give more of a petal look. So there you have it. I am actually going to find a frame for it to make it easier for the recipient to hang it up on a wall, and for a more polished look, of course. I will take a photo and add it once I do! Use your imagination with colors and details. Happy painting!