Come Together Kids: Footprint Butterfly Wall Canvas

May 14, 2011

Footprint Butterfly Wall Canvas

One thing I've learned in these last few crazy years as a mom is that these kids of ours really do grow up fast. I love when I can find a way to capture this moment as they are now, so I can treasure it in the years to come. I've always liked the little handprint and footprint crafts they do with paint and construction paper in their preschool classrooms. A few months ago, I came across this great blog with tons of adorable projects using kids' handprints and footprints. As soon as I saw this butterfly made from footprints, I knew I had to make some for my girls' butterfly-themed bedroom.

Because I was going to be hanging it on their wall as artwork, I wanted something a little more than just paint on paper. Just like with our Handprint Cherry Blossom Trees, I want the first thought to be "Ooh, what a nice picture" and then, " Wow, those are handprints/footprints!" I think I achieved that with these butterfly canvases. First you see the pretty butterflies, and then you realize they were made out of footprints.

Aren't they pretty? (Check out the rubber stamped butterflies on the wall too!)

Okay, enough of my babbling, here's how I did it!

SUPPLIES:

pattern fabrics
Heat-n-Bond lite iron-on adhesive
plain artists' canvas (mine was 11x14, I think, and part of an inexpensive multi pack at the craft store)
hot glue gun

1. First, gather up your pretty patterned fabrics.

2. Trace your child's footprint on the paper side of iron-on adhesive. ( I used Heat-n-Bond lite hold so I could sew it) Prepare for giggles as you trace the ticklish feet! :)

3. Iron the Heat-n-Bond with the footprints onto the wrong side of your fabric, then cut out the footprints.

My lines got a little wobbly when she kept giggling!

4. Draw a butterfly body and antennae on the Heat-n-Bond and iron it on a coordinating piece of fabric. ( I just eyeballed it and sketched after I placed the footprints in position). Cut out these pieces and put aside with your footprint wings.

5. Cut your background fabric to be slightly larger than your canvas. Lightly trace around the edge of the canvas so you know where to position your butterfly.

About a two inch border of fabric so you can wrap the canvas.

Lightly trace with pencil or disappearing marker.

6. Peel off the paper backing off your butterfly pieces and position them where you want them to be. Then iron them in place.


Looks cute like this!

7. Draw some shapes for the patterns on the butterfly wings. Using the iron-on adhesive, cut them out of another piece of coordinating fabric and iron them on your butterfly wings.

8. I decided to use fabric and stitch on the letters of the names and the butterfly trail, but I bet fabric paint would also be cute (and probably easier! ;) ). To do it with fabric, iron on the adhesive to the wrong side of your fabric, then lightly write the name on the right side. Cut out the letters and the short lines for the butterfly trail, then iron onto your background fabric.

See the name lightly sketched on the fabric?

Everything ironed in place.

9. Now, I think it looks really cute like this, but I thought it looked a little "flat". So, using my sewing machine, I outlined each piece of the butterfly and stitched over the letters and butterfly trail.

10. Then, I used my fingernail to loosen up the edges and give it a little more dimension and texture.

11. Once everything was sewn, I simply used hot glue to attach the fabric piece to my canvas. To get it nice and tight, I did one side, then the opposite side, then the corners, and finally the top and bottom.

Put on the hot glue, then wrap the fabric around.

12. And you're finished! I'm so pleased with how this project turned out and love that the idea is versatile. You could do a similar project using patterned paper and frame it or even do the applique on fabric like I did, but then turn it into a pillow or quilt!