Easy DIY: Vacations are great times to create
Make memories with paint pens & pals
For many of us, summertime means getting away with family and friends. Use this opportunity to make art and have fun together. Paint pens, book pages, and paint sample paper can go on your trip, too, and be part of your creative journey. Do so with a family member, friend, or yourself to make memories and small masterpieces at the same time.
Here’s how:
1. Turn the page on your next project by starting at Goodwill
Hot outside? Yes! An easy way to stay cool is to head over to your nearby Goodwill nonprofit retail store. There you will find comfortable temperatures, friendly staff members, and racks/aisles/shelves of interesting and affordable items. A staple at every store is their collection of donated books. Pick up a favorite book to read while traveling and another to use as the base for your artistic outlet.
Use the book pages as a small canvas to build your tiny masterpieces. Simply pull a page out from your purchased book, and you are ready to go.
As long as you are at Goodwill, look for items to enhance your vacation experience, such as suitcases and travel bags, sun hats and ball caps, coolers and drink glasses, serving trays, and patio decorations. There are always summer-related items there at cool, low prices, so you can relax and enjoy your adventures—and spend your savings on fun!
2. Pick up paint chip/sample papers
As you stop by your favorite hardware store for other supplies, swing by the paint department and take home a collection of paint chip/sample papers. They are free, so they will keep your art supply costs low.
While purchasing paint for another home DIY project, a rack of house-shaped, small and colorful paint samples caught my attention because they could be upcycled into art–so into my shopping cart they went!
3. Pack up, then pull out your paint pens
On your list of items to take on your travels, be sure to add paint pens. These are an easy and mess-free way to add color to items. My preference are the ones with brush tips as they feel more like using a paint brush than a ball-point pen.
4. Tear pages out to let the fun in
Pull out a page from your book as your background and canvas to express your artsy self.
Design Idea:
While you could use scissors or a craft knife to cut out your book pages, I like the look of the torn edge cause it adds some visual interest. Also, consider using pages with lots of words on them so they become part of the background and add another layer and texture to your piece.
5. Secure your paint paper piece
Use a glue stick or school/Elmer’s glue to securely adhere the house-shaped paint sample to your book page. You are now ready to begin your masterpiece!
6. Go to town
Use the paint pens to add lines, shapes and designs to your house shapes. Consider various dwellings then create a birdhouse, lighthouse, southern home—even a dog house!
7. Grab a friend
To make this easy DIY project even more enjoyable, grab a friend, family member or buddy to join in the artsy activities. Always up for DIY projects, my talented niece Saige was very excited to join me. The time with her added to the joyful getaway. (Thanks to her mom and my sister, Tammy, for being our unofficial photographer!)
8. Frame your art, then show it off
These oh-so charming small art pieces will look adorable in any room, space or place. Pick up a frame (or two or three!) while at Goodwill, too, to hold your piece with simple style. Their small size will make them a lovely addition on your bookshelf, dresser, foyer table, kitchen counter or even your bathroom vanity.
Their cheerful look and will make you happy each time you see them and will remind you of the meaningful time with your loved ones and your time away.
Similar Reads:
- DIY: How to Upcycle Mannequins into Pride Art Pieces – Finding Your Good
- DIY: How to Upcycle a Mirror to Reflect Your Pride – Finding Your Good
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
