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How To Cut Letters, Make Your Own Stickers & Fingerpaint with Preschoolers (*whew*)

For several months I’ve been wanting to make something on a canvas to hang in my kids’ rooms. There are so many cute tutorials and ideas around the interweb. I’ll admit I’m just a crafty wannabe. But after seeing Book Inspired Nursery Art at Silly Eagle Books and  Faux Wood Letter Tutorial at Little Birdie Secrets, I was pining after a canvas in my kids’ rooms. Finally I ran across Messy Masterpiece at *explanation required and knew it was right up my alley! All you need is a canvas and a preschooler willing to fingerpaint! Oh, and one more thing. Alphabet stickers.

But I didn’t have any alphabet stickers. So, what’s a girl to do?

I made my own. Yes, I cut out letters by hand. What? You can’t cut letters out by hand? Well, why didn’t you say so? Here’s the basic tutorial:

I used this same technique to cut my letters out of the contact paper, then I placed the words on the canvas. I chose a phrase from my very favorite book, The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones. It’s a phrase that describes God’s love for His people “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love”.

contact paper stickers

Once the letters were arranged how I wanted, I let my daughter crack out the paint. I chose two pinks and she did those at the same time.

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Once the pink dried we did Leaf Green.

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After it all dried, I peeled the letters off and VOILA!

canvas diy

But I couldn’t let my son be left out. So, as I peeled the letters off of Lydia’s canvas, I carefully placed them on Asa’s. Then, I gave him two shades of grey and one orange.

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I right-justified his and I really like the white space to the left.

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You can see up close that the paint really spread underneath the stickers, but from far away, I think they look pretty swanky!

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I’m so excited that my kids will have a constant reminder of God’s great love for them right in their room!

god's love

So, do you love it as much as I do?!

(ps–yes, I see the misspelling on the orange canvas. If you don’t see it, don’t go back and try to find it, please! ack!)

linked to:
Today’s Creative Blog: Get Your Craft On!
Sugar Bee: Take a Look Tuesday
Tutorial Tuesday
Tot Tuesday
Lucky Linky Tuesday

Comments

    • ohamanda says

      Actually, Tara. It took much less time than I thought. I’d say about an hour to cut and place it on the first canvas. Of course, it wasn’t quick enough for me to make TWO sets of stickers! 🙂

  8. Melissa K says

    Oh, I love these! Especially since the kids had their hands (literally!) in making their own decor.

    Love the quote, too. The Jesus Storybook Bible is on my to-get list.

  9. Sheri says

    Very cute! I’ve been toying with the idea of putting my son’s favorite verse in vinyl on his wall but I think I might do this instead!

    Question, though… ok, two…
    1) How did you affix the letters so they wouldn’t shift while the kids paint?
    2) What type of paint did you use?

    • ohamanda says

      Sheri: The contact paper was sticky enough that it laid down nice and smooth and didn’t move around as they painted. Neither one of them even paid attention to the stickers as they painted. For paint I used the 88cent acrylic paint from Michaels! 🙂

  10. erica says

    I love this! I’m going to have to think of a way to do it without the finger paint- my boys are too “old” (and they never did like to get paint on their fingers)

  12. Kristy says

    This is such a wonderful idea – I love how customizable it is (and that’s one of my favorite phrases from that Bible, too)! Thanks for sharing!
    .-= Kristy´s last blog ..welcome signs =-.

  15. Leigh says

    Amanda – you are so cute! I love your tutorial – and the end results are FABULOUS! I’m redoing the boys room (again!) and I’m going to steal your idea for something to go in the room they will be sharing now!

  17. Jessica says

    LOVE this. We are huge fans of the JSB and I always cry when I read it to my kids. Doesn’t matter what story. So, this is officially the first time I’ve cried over a craft. Seriously. The only reason I’m NOT at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s right now is because they are not open. 🙂

  18. Ashlie says

    We LOVE this book at our house and have given away several as gifts (and giveaways). I love, love, love this art idea and plan to do it soon! Thanks for the inspiration. It led me to your blog, which I’m sure we’ll be visiting often 😉
    .-= Ashlie´s last blog ..Train Up Tuesday- Food Novelties =-.

  24. Cindy Hunnicutt says

    Amanda,
    It was so fun watching you describe how to cut out the letters! My 4th grade teacher, Miss Crowningshield would be so proud. We teach this as part of our “CILT Crafts” activity at Camp Rocks now- so I just taught this same thing this summer. HOWEVER, the cute, cute, cute craft project you had the kids make is the BEST!!! I am absolutely going to take your great idea and do it somewhere- Maybe with my 4th and 5th graders- or maybe just for something cute in our house!!

  30. Gail says

    I’m sure you realize that your son’s sign is misspelled. I can’t help it, I’m a printer’s daughter and grew up proof reading.

  31. Bridget says

    My big kids are going to be moving into one room soon to make space for the baby. I can’t WAIT to do this with them. The possibilities are endless!
    .-= Bridget´s last blog ..At the Hop =-.

  32. Londa says

    This idea is amazingly fantastic! We made our canvases yesterday and I linked up to you today! What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much for sharing!

  33. Jenna says

    Found this via Tatertots and Jello… We LOVE that storybook Bible, and I really love what you did with that phrase! I’m on the hunt for some great, affordable art for my baby girl’s room (who is due next month), and I think I’m going to totally have to copy this idea! Thank you so much for sharing!

  34. Ashlie says

    Hello, again 🙂 (I just commented on 2 of your other blog entries!) I just wanna let you know that you do really inspire me! I’m doing a couple of these paintings for my boys for Christmas (one like you did and a second with their names and scriptures for their names). Thanks again for your genius! 😉

  35. Katie @ Do Not Depart says

    I love this quote! I love how it is tucked away, again and again, throughout the book.

    I took this idea from you, to make birthday gifts for the grandmas. We had the same problem with the paint leaking underneath the contact paper.

    My father-in-law is a sign maker, and he shared this technique with me.
    1. Paint the canvas with white paint (or whatever color you want underneath), before you put the letters on.
    2. Stick the letters on and then paint another light coat of the “underneath” color. This will fill in any of the grooves.
    3. Paint as planned and enjoy nice, crisp letters! He did suggest taking the letters off before it dries completely.

    Even with the “leaky” letters, the grandmas loved their gifts, and the kids loved making them! Thanks for the great idea. This will be a “go to” gift for a while.

    • ohamanda says

      Good to know! That makes so much sense! And not too difficult, either! But it is kinda surprising that from a distance you can’t see how “leaky” it is. Plus, it *is* fingerpaint! 🙂

      I’m with you–it’s the most gorgeous sentiment. I want it pounded into my kids’ brains! LOL!

  36. Amber says

    I LOVE THIS!!! I’ve been looking for a way to add God’s Word to my walls in a cool, modern and fun way, and this is perfect!!
    My daughter and I are gonna do this in her room with, “and she knew she was worth far more than rubies”.
    So excited! Can’t wait to do even more!
    Thanks for the idea! 🙂

  37. Yolanda Drietz says

    this is one of my favs…..we are going to move sometime and when we decorate their rooms this is definitely something we are going to do! : )

  38. Sami says

    WOW!! I know this is an old post, but I found it while searching way to put a verse about God’s love on canvas in the room we’re prepping to be a nursery for our soon-to-come (hopefully) foster baby! I feel like you’re in my head! We read the Big Picture Story Bible almost daily, such a treasure! Thanks for this idea! I’m gonna steal it!! 🙂

  39. caitlin says

    This is amazing!! I always need idea’s of fun hands on crafts for two 3 yr olds! do you buy the contact paper from michaels? I have tons of paint but I haven’t used contact paper before! thanks so much for sharing this!!!!!

    • ohamanda says

      It was just some contact paper I had at home—I think for lining my kids’ drawers. You can get it anywhere–WalMart, Michael’s, even hardware stores. 🙂

  40. Keri says

    What kind of paint did you use? Acrylic out actual finger paint?? Live your blog its given direction to our families passion!

  41. Ashlie Miller says

    I wanted to let you know, that I did this last year for a Christmas gift for my boys (I may have told you that before?) and I plan to share my pics on my blog and link to your tutorial here. Thanks again for your AMAZING inspirations!

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