Making a Valentine's Stenciled Sign with Kids

Wednesdays with Whitney
By Whitney Ziebarth

Valentine’s Day is only a month away and the aisles are already stocked with meaningless boxes of cardboard valentines. Don’t be distracted by the cute candy hearts this year. Instead, make the kids you care for something that they will cherish for a lifetime. Make them a stenciled sign this Valentine’s Day, taking a line or verse from your favorite book to read together. And don’t forget to personalize it with homemade add-ons or personal nicknames!

Supplies

• Paint (Acrylic works best, but washable paint will do)
• Canvas
• Alphabet Stencil (make sure the letters will fit well on the canvas)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paintbrush
• Sealant (optional)

Directions

1. Start by picking out your phrase and dividing the canvas up accordingly. For instance, if you know your verse has four lines, divide the canvas into even fourths lengthwise with a ruler and a pencil. You will erase these lines later.

2. Next, start stenciling out your letters with a pencil, insuring that the words have the proper amount of space between them. This can be measured with either a ruler or the width of your finger. Once all the letters are penciled in, you can erase the lines you made earlier.

3. Now you’ll want to pick the colors for your picture – keep in mind things like the child’s favorite colors and the color scheme of their room. Now, using your previous pencil marks as a guide, use the stencil to paint on your words. Be sure to let each letter dry before painting a new one to avoid smudging the paint.

4. Now just let the piece dry and you are done! If you want to give the painting a more professional look though, finish it off by painting over it with a sealant.