We needed a fun craft for my kids. They wanted to paint and get messy and have fun. I wanted my kids to create some sort of simple, personalized art to hang in their bedrooms. I also wanted to incorporate their footprints or handprints in some way to sort of preserve how big (or small) my kids were at that very moment. 🙂 I am a sentimental mama, what can I say? They ARE growing too quickly! These Footprints on Painted Canvas were the perfect art project!
The solution? Their cute footprints on painted canvas. I saw the idea somewhere online and could not find the exact link again, dang! But I still wanted to share it with you because it’s a great kids craft: cheap, easy, a little bit messy, and my kids had a blast doing it.
You probably have seen these types of projects a million times, where you paint your kids’ feet and “stamp” the canvas or paper with their footprint. This project is a little bit different because you paint the canvas instead of the foot.
You only need a few simple supplies for this fun painted canvas project:
- stretched canvas (I like to use coupons and get them for cheap)
- acrylic paint, in any color you want!
- foam craft brushes
- your kids’ bare feet and/or hands 🙂
- Wipes to wash their feet off when you’re finished
Instructions:
- Have your kids use the foam craft brushes to paint the entire canvas with the acrylic paint. It definitely doesn’t have to be perfect! Let them go crazy with it–but try to keep the paint off the kitchen floor! 🙂
- While the paint is still wet, place their clean and dry foot onto the painted canvas. Make sure all parts of the foot are touching the canvas.
- Carefully lift their foot off the canvas. You will see that their foot has removed some of the paint from that spot on the canvas, leaving the shape of their foot on the canvas.
- Clean off their foot with wipes or a wet paper towel.
- Repeat the first 4 steps with the other foot.
- Let the canvas dry completely.
- Hang on the wall for some personalized, unique art!
You could also do their hands if you want, especially if the thought of hanging “foot” artwork on your wall makes you squirmy. 🙂 Or you could do a hand and foot combo, or it would be really fun to have each of your kids leave their footprint on one large canvas. Or why not include Mom and Dad in the fun! It’d be a creative “family portrait” for sure!!
My kids like to see how fast their feet are growing by comparing their real feet to their “art” feet. 🙂
Have fun crafting with the kids!
LOVE this Brooke! I am so going to make these. My girls would love to do this.
Yay! It really is fun for them to do and it turns out really cute. Just think of your girls’ darling footsies as “art”….. 🙂
How adorable! I love that the kids can paint the canvas so they feel included. I can’t wait to do this! Thanks!
http://www.makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com
Thanks! I know, sometimes it’s easier to just paint the canvas ourselves but my kids LOVED doing it themselves and LOVED hanging up their very own art on their walls!!
Hello! So cute. I like the idea of doing all of the kiddos together too. Maybe I’ll need a bigger canvas! HA
Gina, I think you need a 20×30 poster sized canvas. 🙂
I really like this idea Brooke! Here’s my only dilema….my son is the weirdest about getting dirty. I know, right? He’s been this way his whole life. He doesn’t play in dirt. He wipes his hands and face at least 4 times before he even finishes eating. And it’s not in an OCD way….he just doesn’t like to get dirty. Maybe I’ll talk him into it as a kind of “immersion therapy!” 🙂
My daughter on the other hand….she’s a mess! I KNOW!
Ha ha! My daughter is the messy one too. 🙂 But this is a good project for your son because really, he doesn’t need to get as dirty. Maybe you could paint the canvas, and then he can quickly put his hand or foot on the paint and then you’re right there with the wipes….he’d only have to get messy for a matter of 10 seconds. 🙂
Love this version of footprint wall art- featured it today!
Thank you so much! I left a comment at your blog. 🙂
Awesome idea about painting it first!! So trying this! 🙂
Thanks! It’s a fun little variation and I think a tiny bit less messy!!
I’ve been wanting to do artwork on a canvas with my 3 ye old using her handprint, however everything I read says not to put acrylic paint on them. Do you think it’s okay if done quickly! I don’t wanna be too neurotic…lol