Botanical Paintings

There's nothing quite so timeless as botanical paintings... they fit well into almost any room, are beautiful to look at and are actually fairly simple to create. Using the DIY Art Kit from Three & Me, you will be equipped with all the tools you need to make this art experience a fun as well as successful one!

You will need:

12x12 canvas/ canvas bag/ cotton pillow cover
1 botanical stencil
acrylic paint in white, black and colors to suit your botanical
mod podge (optional)
1 sponge brush
1 sponge wedge or stencil brush
1 inch nail or weeding tool
1 craft stick/ ruler/ gift card

or find the whole package here at Three & Me.

You can source all these supplies at local craft stores. Instead of a stretched canvas, you can use a wood pallet or cotton fabric. The technique is the same.

Get comfy. Grab your supplies, a snack and let's get started!

* this step is optional on canvas tote bags or pillows!

Decant some white acrylic paint onto a paper plate.

Add a smidge of black to it.

Swirl to create a messy uneven, marbleized blend of paint.

Using the flat surface of your sponge brush, smear the paint onto the canvas in uneven strokes to leave a streaky surface.

Do not use water.

Use a paper towel to rub off excess paint, to blend and to help dry your canvas.

Your canvas needs to be bone dry to move to the next step!

Rub your stencil with a credit card/ craft stick to prepare it.

Carefully peel away the grid layer.

It is super important that you remove the correct layer!

It's easiest to keep the stencil on a flat surface and work from a corner, at an angle.

If any of the stencil comes away on the grid layer, quickly seal it up and rub it with the stick to transfer the wayward piece back into position.

You should be left with a complete inverted stencil, which is very sticky.

Attach the stencil, sticky side down onto the canvas and rub it to make sure it adheres well.

Once your stencil is positioned on the canvas, carefully peel away the top connective layer. This is the trickiest part of the process, but be patient and work slowly.

Move low and slow from a corner, at an angle.

That was the hardest part! Now comes the fun part!

This step is not essential, but if you are nervous about your technique, then use Mod-Podge to help you along. It will seal off the cut edges to prevent paint bleed.

Use the same sponge as you used to paint the canvas. Blot off excess paint and dry it. Do not add water!!!

Sponge Mod-Podge fairly liberally over your stencil.

Dry.

Once the Mod-Podge is dry, you'll need make-up wedges or stencil brushes.

Pour some of your botanical colors onto a paper plate. You won't need much paint.

Use as little paint as possible, especially on the first coat. Less is more with stenciling!

Blend some white paint with your color to create a few shades of the same color.

Blot paint onto your flower in thin layers, alternating between shades to create interest and movement.

It'll look really messy to begin with, but stick with it!

Keep adding color and adjusting with subsequent coats, drying in between.

Blot very thin layers of black paint onto your text and borders. See in the image above, how little paint is used for the first layer. Once that is dry, you can load more paint onto your sponge.

After 2-3 coats, the coverage looks complete.

Allow your painting to dry fully.

Once dry, use a nail or weeding tool to remove the stencil.

The big reveal is so satisfying!

Now your canvas is good to hang up ... or you can add a few finishing touches.

With a 1 inch nail dipped into black paint, you can add seeds or accents to the centers of your flowers, where necessary.

Such a happy splash of color! It looks fabulous in any room with or without a frame.

I hope you enjoyed your art experience!

This same technique works exactly the same on multiple formats, such as canvas bags, synch bags, pillow covers, napkins, table cloths, hand towels etc.

See the slideshow below for further design inspiration or view additional photos on Three & Me's Instagram Feed.