For a large canvas, you may need to use two nails/tacks or command strips. And a level can help you hang it straight.
How to Make DIY Wall Art – Easy Canvas Paintings for Kids Rooms
Kylie is the original founder of The How To Mom website. She is a mother of three and enjoys crafting, especially making gorgeous wreaths.
Latest posts by Kylie (see all)
- How to Make a Burlap Wreath – 3 Easy Styles! – May 30, 2022
- How to Revive Wilted Hydrangeas – Guaranteed! – July 28, 2021
- Easy Canvas Painting Ideas – 30+ DIYs for Beginners – June 16, 2021
Make your own easy canvas painting to match any decor or bedding. This DIY wall art project is easier than it looks!
I suppose it all started with my first born.
haha I guess that’s a silly statement, all things kid-related start with your first child.
But making canvas wall art to match my babies crib bedding all started with my first. My in-laws gifted us a brand new crib, and we couldn’t really afford the whole Pottery Barn crib bedding set. Soooo…
I picked out fabric and with many calls to my mom to ask sewing questions, I made my own! It was teal and hot pink, with black and white accents and a tiny bit of green. So 2007, lol.
The fabric I chose had flowers that looked “painted” which gave me the idea to actually paint canvases with the same flowers. And they turned out pretty great!
With my other two babies, I did the same thing. Lovingly made their crib bedding and painted matching canvas art. So fun!
Pre-blogging days, for sure. haha
It’s probably obvious, but just to be clear, I am NOT an artist. I am a crafter. So I figure stuff out and improvise, and probably don’t do things the “right” way. But hey, whatever works right?!
Painting colorful custom wall art for my kids has definitely brought me joy! I’d love to share how you can recreate it for your own kids rooms! Towards the end, I also share some more easy canvas painting ideas for beginners. Lets have some fun!
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DIY Wall Art Ideas for Nurseries and Kids Bedrooms
This idea works well for kids rooms because their bedding is usually easy to mimic. Sailboats, flowers, animals, cartoon characters, etc.
My youngest had zoo animal bedding in funky colors and blocky shapes. SO FUN. I might have picked that fabric specifically because I knew how fun and easy it would be to paint canvases for.
That cute baby is now 5 yrs old and has a big boy bed. AND he’s due for some new art pieces on his walls!
Luckily he has this truck bedding from Target and the trucks are fairly simple shapes and were easy to paint.
How to paint canvases for kids rooms
I use inexpensive blank canvases and acrylic paints. If you only need a few colors, you can just look for those colors already mixed, or you could buy a set of acrylic paints (student grade is fine) and mix to get the exact shade. You can also use craft acrylic paint as well, but in my experience, the colors don’t mix as easily so you’ll need to find a shade that’s a pretty close match.
I have played around with oil painting, but definitely prefer acrylics, especially for beginners. Oils take foreverrrr to dry, and are a bit more expensive and require chemicals to clean the brushes afterward.
–Good Beginner Acrylic Set (this is the set that I started with)
—Paint brushes
—Blank Canvas (bulk, in case you need extras for practice)
I have some fancy paint brushes, and also have the cheap bulk pack of paintbrushes and they’re both fine.
Also, I have created a comprehensive post about easy canvas painting tips and ideas, if you want more in depth information about getting started with acrylics, its a great reference.
Step by Step Instructions for Easy Acrylic Painting
Decide which image you want to paint. Are you going to leave a white background, or paint it a different solid color?
1. With a pencil, lightly sketch out the design. Pencils will erase on canvas, but they also can smudge, so the trick is to sketch lightly and be careful with smudging with your hand.
2. Mix your paints to get the right colors that will match the bedding. And take a deep breath and start painting on the canvas!
Acrylic paints dry pretty quickly, so if you need to fix any mistakes or clean up any lines, I’d wait until its dry and then paint over the mistake.
How to make personalized canvas art for kids
In this crafty post I’m going to show you how easy it is to create personalized canvas art for kids.
Kids love canvas art! There are so many different things they can create on these wonderful blank slates. They can free-hand paint, make adorable handprint keepsakes, have fun melting crayons and so much more.
Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.
If you enjoy this kid-friendly craft be sure to check out these other DIY kid-approved projects:
- DIY at home sensory activities your toddler will love
- How to TIE DYE using food coloring
- DIY canvas letter art for kids
- Learn how to stencil on a canvas bag
- Painting with nature, a creative and fun experience to enjoy with your kids
- DIY light-up fairy jar
What supplies and materials do you need: canvas art for kids?
How to make your own personalized canvas name art at home with your kids
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Cost: $
Equipment
Materials
- matte finish mod podge
- matte black vinyl (here’s the vinyl I recommend)
- CLEAR TRANSFER TAPE
- acrylic paint
- paint brush
- 8″x10″ canvas
Instructions
MAKE PERSONALIZED NAME STENCILS- Using outdoor grade vinyl cut out your personalized names. I recommend a Cricut machine for this but you can use any fancy cutting machine that you have access to. If using an 8″x10″ white canvas you will need to make your names smaller than the canvas frame so it’s easy to apply. Keep in mind all names are different so adjust the names accordingly, just don’t make it bigger than 7″x9″.
SEAL THE STENCIL- To reduce the amount of paint bleed you can seal your stencil with matte finish mod podge. Simply paint a VERY THIN layer of the mod podge where the stencil and the canvas meet. You are essentially filling in any areas that have little air bubbles with the mod podge so that the paint does not. Let this dry completely before adding acrylic paint.
PAINT THE CANVAS- After the mod podge is dry you can paint the canvas. Be sure your kiddo is covering the entire area around the vinyl. If there are areas that don’t get painted the letter might not look like a letter when you they finished.
REMOVE THE VINYL LETTERING- Once they are all finished painting you can use a sewing pin or an xacto knife to lift the vinyl lettering up and off of the canvas. Discard the lettering after. Once you lift the vinyl off there letters underneath should be white.
Make this personalized canvas art for kids even better by making a party out of it. Check out my tips for hosting a kid-friendly art paint party on a budget.
CANVAS ART FOR KIDS USING YOUR CRICUT
1. MAKE PERSONALIZED NAME STENCILS
First, using outdoor grade vinyl cut out your personalized names. I recommend a Cricut machine for this but you can use any fancy cutting machine that you have access to. If using an 8″x10″ white canvas you will need to make your names smaller than the canvas frame so it’s easy to apply. Keep in mind all names are different so adjust the names accordingly, just don’t make it bigger than 7″x9″.
Having trouble applying vinyl to the canvas? Try these tips:
- flip canvas front side down and rub the backside of the canvas with lots of pressure
- peel your transfer tape VERY SLOWLY pressing the letters back down onto the canvas as you peel
- wiggle your transfer tape back and forth as you peel
2. SEAL THE STENCIL
Second, to reduce the amount of paint bleed you can seal your stencil with matte finish mod podge. Simply paint a VERY THIN layer of the mod podge where the stencil and the canvas meet. Essentially you are filling in any areas that have little air bubbles with the mod podge so that the paint does not. Let this dry completely before adding acrylic paint.
3. PAINT THE CANVAS
Third, after the mod podge is dry you can paint the canvas. Be sure your kiddo is covering the entire area around the vinyl. If there are areas that don’t get painted the letter might not look like a letter when they are finished.
Additionally, I recommend if your kiddo wants to add any glitter to their canvas to do so while their paint is still wet.
4. REMOVE THE VINYL LETTERING
Finally, once they are all finished painting you can use a sewing pin or an xacto knife to lift the vinyl lettering up and off of the canvas. Discard the lettering after. Once you lift the vinyl off there letters underneath should be white.
I just love how these always turn out! The kids can really get creative with them!
Don’t lose this crafty post:) be sure to pin the image below to help you find it later
I hope you enjoyed this kid friendly craft! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
simple canvas painting ideas for toddler
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Simple painting activity to try with your toddler #painting #kidspainting #kidspaintingoncanvas #kidspaintingactivity #kidsacticity #fyp
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The memories I make with these little hands and feet will last for enternity; truly my favorite wall in my house! #toddlersoftiktok #boymom #painting #toddlerpaintingideas #toddlerpainting #handandfeetart #handart #babycanvasart #babycanvas #babypainting #holidayart #SAHM
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Easy and fun NO MESS Painting Toddler activity! This one we’ve been doing since she was 6 months old #toddlersoftiktok #toddler #painting #messfree #kidsactivities @lilybcoco
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We love a good messy art activity- but this is fun too! #messyplay #babypainting #toddlersoftiktok #play #becareful #momtok #babiesoftiktok #babyart
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Get ready to unleash your toddler’s inner artist! ️ Save this video so you remember these tips for painting with toddlers, including using non-toxic paints, an egg carton as a palette, and even natural surfaces like palm bark. Try not to worry about the mess, it’s all part of the sensory experience! And if you are new here, hi I’m Michelle. Check back daily for more fun ideas for kids! – TIPS FOR PAINTING WITH TODDLERS (1) Use non-toxic, washable paints. Toddlers tend to put things in their mouths, so it’s essential to choose paints that are safe and non-toxic. (2) Use an egg carton as a paint palette. It’s an inexpensive and convenient way to keep the paints organized and easy to access for your little ones. (3) Use Q-tips instead of brushes. They’re a great introduction to painting and help to develop hand grip and control. (4) Use nature as the canvas. Palm bark or leaves can be a unique and eco-friendly surface for your child’s art. (5) Wear a cover-up if you don’t want to get paint on your clothes. Painting can get messy, but don’t worry too much about it. Messy play is a valuable sensory experience for your child. (6) Hang up the artwork for everyone to enjoy! It’s a great way to showcase your child’s creativity and boost their confidence. – #paintingwithtoddlers #toddleractivities #creativekids #sensoryplay @Michelle
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She’s an artist If you need any ideas for your toddler or possibly some new wall art, I strongly recommend having them paint on a canvas. A bonus if you use fall colors. This was so fun and relaxing for her. #falltoddlerpainting #paintingideasfortoddler #fallart
