Box-car frames

Hands-on time: 6 hours for 2 small canvases (approximately 8-inches x 8-inches) or one larger one.
Total time: Add 24 hours for drying time.
Skill: Moderate.
Cost estimate: $16.00 each for the small canvases.

Materials & Tools

• Double primed canvas-mounted box frames
• Acrylic paints in assorted colours (for this project I used light blue, dark blue, orange, grey, green, yellow and red)
• Paint tray
• Assorted flat paintbrushes from 1 to 3 inches
• Fine detailing brushes
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Photocopy of motif in the size you want
• Scissors
• Tracing paper
• Carbon paper
• Red pen
• Painter's tape
• Clear varnish finish by Krylon

Discover your creative inner child while painting naive-style works of arts to compliment any existing décor theme for children's bedrooms. This arty project is about transferring designs onto mounted canvas in a few simple steps using motifs from fabric curtains, a bedspread, rugs or wall paper as the inspiration for your masterpiece.

Start by applying a light-coloured background basecoat (to coordinate with your décor) to the whole box frame using a 1 to 2-inch paintbrush, and let dry.

Choose a motif subject from your child's bedroom. If you want the final artwork to be larger or smaller than the original, photocopy the design to the desired size.

Trace your design items onto tracing paper and cut out. Apply the design over carbon paper to the canvas frame with painter's tape. For a larger canvas try placing the design to extend around the side of the canvas. Using a red pen (in order to see what has been transferred) trace over the design to transfer it onto the canvas, and then remove the paper design.

To create stripes, apply painter's tape to the canvas or paint them on freehand. Taped stripes and freehand stripes make great combinations. With a pencil, draw freehand or use stencils to add the final elements to your composition, like clouds, trees, grass and shrubs.

Prepare your paint colours in a paint tray. Paint the background stripes first and let dry. With assorted detailing paintbrushes start painting in your subject using the lighter colours first and working your way to the darker ones. Let dry before applying the outlines and the final detail elements.

Once the artwork is completely dry, seal the entire frame with a coat of clear varnish finish and let dry. Your child will simply adore the results.

Tips

• You can use paper towels or a sponge to create clouds or to give a smudged look to stripes.
• For mounted canvas frames and other artist supplies visit www.loomisandtoles.com and type in the search box "Stretched Canvas".

Variations

• With the same concept, you can create more contemporary projects using geometric shapes, stencils and painters tape for older children's rooms. Try making some works of art using different types of paint mediums like oil, gauche, finger paints, etc.