One of the best discoveries I made in 2020 when COVID had us fairly isolated as a family and homeschooling, not only to keep up on our education but also to help pass the days was a little DIY that served multiple purposes.
Our happy little discovery morphed into a place for:
- board & movement games
- art
- a playmat for cars
- a learning tool for everything from our ABCs to geography, fractions, and the parts of speech
- impromptu picnics and relaxing on the grass
And the best thing was that sometimes it was many of these things simultaneously on a Monday and the next day something completely different. All you need to create your own DIY Reusable Art Canvas is a little creativity, a painter's canvas drop cloth, scissors, and washable art supplies like markers, crayons, and paints. You may want to grab a permanent marker if you want to add a more permanent element like a game board or design along the border. That's the beautiful thing about this project - the possibilities are only limited by your own creativity and play!
The canvases can be found at any local hardware or paint supply store in various weights and sizes. I typically use the ones labeled as "duck canvas" because they are fairly lightweight (12 to 18 oz) and great for other projects (check out the list below for ideas) and easy to wash in a household washing machine. Ideally, you will want something that is large enough, about 5 x 7', for 2 to 4 people to sit on or around. If you cut one down to size the raw edge may fray after a few washes, but you can prevent this from happening with a quick trip through a sewing machine or by folding the edge and using a little fabric glue.
Next is the fun part! Gather up your washable art supplies and start decorating your blank canvas! Draw a checkerboard (64 squares), free draw, make a town with roads and rivers for cars and figurines, draw a story as you tell it, play tic tac toe, hopscotch - the options go on and on. When you are done - just toss it in the washing machine for a fresh canvas to use another day. This is a great way to encourage independent play and can be safely used indoors since it is easy to clean. These large art canvases are also flexible and easy to fold and store away for a rainy day.
Alternate ideas for using canvas drop cloths:
- indoor/outdoor floor cloth - just decorate and then seal it with a petroleum-based sealant that you can find in craft or home improvement stores. This will protect it from water and give it longevity.
- cloth book - cut the canvas down to the desired size, finish off the cut edges and bind them together. You could sew a cloth binding or do what I did which is use heavy-duty quilter's safety pins to fasten them together. I used a permanent marker to outline letters, numbers, images, and little games on some of the pages and left others completely blank for free drawing or writing. Toss in the wash and it is ready for the next road trip, restaurant outing, or quiet time at home!
- window coverings - you can easily dye these drop cloths any color and with simple sewing, you have cost-effective, custom-length curtains.
- slipcovers & pillowcases - the hearty, washable nature of this fabric makes it great for using to make a slipcover for high-traffic furniture in a house with young kids.
