Son's Finger paint + Mom's Decoupage = Bathroom Art

My 2.5 year old son loves to paint.  He usually doesn't spend a lot of time on it, maybe 10 minutes or so, but once he is done with painting he always wants to show it off.  So when my fridge could not handle all the drawings he was making I decided to designate a small corner wall in my dinning room as his art wall.

There have been three paintings hanging there for about 5 months now and they keep "calling" me.   I really like the color coordination and the "style", if you can say that of preschooler art.  So I thought those three pieces of paper deserve a better place and my bathroom downstairs has been a little empty lately. 

A few ideas pop to mind (mainly framing them) but I thought that did not make them special enough so I decided on the next best thing...decoupage them.  I don't know why but there is something very relaxing about adding glue onto something and smoothing it out with a sponge or brush.   

Check out the instructions below on how I turn my son's drawing into modern art for my bathroom wall. 
You will need:
-canvas (size in EU=24 x 18cm, US=8"x10")
-decoupage brush/sponge
-mod podge or the equivalent white glue for decoupage
-temporary spray adhesive/glue for thin paper



-tape
-child's art
-printer/copier
-tissue paper
-standard white paper  (EU=A4, US=8.5"x11")                                                                  


How to:
1.  First cut the tissue paper about 2cm (1 inch) longer and wider than the standard white paper.  The idea is that you can wrap the tissue paper around the white paper.  Use only enough tape to hold the tissue paper in place (1 small piece of tape per side)

2.  Add the white paper covered in tissue paper (step 1) to the printer making sure the tissue side will be the one printed.



3.  Make a color copy of your child's art and let the ink dry for a few minutes.

4.  Take  the tissue paper off the white paper.  Once you've separated both paper take the white sheet and add very little spray adhesive onto the surface. Let the spray adhesive dry for a couple of minutes (to avoid ruining the print) and then paste the tissue paper (printed side) onto the white sheet (the side having the adhesive). Make sure that the tissue paper is straight and has no folds.  

5.  Apply one thin coat of mod podge onto the canvas making sure it covers the whole surface.  As soon as you are done applying the mod podge, position the tissue paper (adhered to the white sheet) on the canvas upside down to a hard surface.

6.  With a straight object (I used a piece of wood) "comb" the canvas to make sure that the tissue paper (underneath the canvas)and the canvas are being pasted without any air/glue pockets.  Work fast because the glue will dry quickly. 

7.  When you have combed the entire surface of the canvas, turn it around and remove the white sheet of paper being careful not to tear the tissue paper underneath.  Then smooth out any left over air pockets.  Work slowly and preferably only with finger tips.

8.  Once the front part is glued work on the sides by covering the edges with mod podge and folding the remainder tissue paper over them.

9. Let the canvas dry and then pull out or cut the leftover tissue paper.

                                                                                                          

10.  Let it  dry for 30 min.  and then cover the canvas with one thin and quick coat of mod podge to protect the art.