Tropical beach mat

Hands-on time: Less than two hours.
Total time: Add drying time for the Touch Volume paints (six to 12 hours).
Skill: Super easy, kid-friendly project.
Project cost: Under $15 for supplies, including the beach mat.

Materials and Tools

• Seagrass beach mat (standard size; I purchased mine at IKEA for $3.99)
• Touch Volume relief paint by Pébéo (orange, fuchsia, khaki, turquoise, aniseed)
• Clothes iron and ironing board

Need a stylish and fun beach mat - and something creative to do while on vacation? Let the kids paint and personalize their own seagrass beach mat. Designs can range from vibrant tropical florals to basic geometric shapes in exotic colours with Touch Volume multi-surface nozzle-tip paints. Once dried and heat-set, the Touch Volume paints have a three-dimensional puff-like textured effect.

I have really been having fun with the Touch products. It's my must-have pick for this summer. They can be used on everything. They're inexpensive. You can take them everywhere. They're easy to use and perfect for all ages and skill levels.

No preparations, stencils or paintbrushes are required for this project. Simply place the mat on a flat surface, like a lawn or a long table. (You can work right on the beach, but you might get sand on your creation.)

Apply freehand designs in assorted colours of Touch Volume paints directly onto the beach mat. Personalize your beach mat with cool geometric shapes, swirls, lines, text or whatever else you want. You can plan your design on paper first, then use it as your guide as you work.

Press the tube lightly and glide it evenly over your mat as you apply your designs. It is best to work on one section at a time, like doing all the flowers, leaves and so on that will cover the top left-hand side of the mat, before filling the top right-hand side.

Once the mat is decorated to your liking, let it dry and cure at room temperature or in the shade for six to 12 hours. If you worked on your project at the beach, don't worry; you will be able to take it home (or back to your cottage or hotel) because the paints dry to the touch in a few hours.

To reveal the three-dimensional effect, you will need to heat-set the Touch Volume paints with an iron. Protect your ironing board with an old, clean sheet. Iron the reverse side of the mat for five minutes on the cotton or high setting, working on one section at a time. Once set, the paint colours will not fade, crack or peel and will remain flexible.

Other creative projects that can keep you busy at the beach include beach bags, hats, shoes, sandals, beach pillows, pails and sun umbrellas.

Tips

• When using the Touch Volume nozzle-tip paints, use thin lines to do outlines, fine details or write text. To avoid air bubbles, give the tube a good shake before using, and store the tubes upside down on their specially designed cap.
• A fabric pencil or chalk can be used to draw your design onto the mat first, if desired. You can also transfer your designs onto the seagrass mat using fabric transfer.
• To heat-set Touch Volume paints that have been applied to three-dimensional objects like galvanized buckets and vases, simply place a clean fabric cloth over the front of the object and place the heated iron over the fabric to heat set it. Note: ironing should be done by an adult or under parental supervision.

Variations

• Use Touch Volume paints to create your own tropical scenes on co-ordinating seagrass placemats and table runners.