DIY Painted Cross Stitch Art

I have seen several painted cross stitch art pieces online and in some of my favourite magazines. This week I finally decided to try it out on a small wood panel. Overall it was a little time consuming, but I had so much fun with this project. I think it is so sweet and a wonderful project that both adults and kids can enjoy making.

I started off by creating a cross stitch design on paper that could fit onto a small board and kept it simple by selected only a few colours. I found it very helpful to work out my design on paper initially and it was a great guide. In the end, I did make a few small changes to the design, but stayed pretty close to the original concept.

Materials
8 x 10 inch Wood Art Board or Wood Painting Panel
Acrylic Paint (desired colours)
Paint Brush
Paint Tray
Pencil
Ruler
Sealant (optional)

Instructions
1.   White wash the wood panel (optional) and draw pencil lines one inch apart to create a grid.

2.  Select your paint colours and paint your cross stitch design onto the wood panel using "X's" within the 1" squares. I used "Martha Stewart Crafts" acrylic craft paints in the following colours: Peppermint Bark, Camellia Pink, Scottish Highlands, Green Curry, Pollen and Tartan Red. I also used a size 6 round brush. You can use a different brand of acrylic craft paint or use a smaller or ticker brush.

3.  Paint your design with the different colour paints your have selected. Use the paint with a dry brush to reduce the colour bleeding on the edges. Remember to clean your brush between colours.

4.  You can protect your finished art work by applying a protective coat of clear varnish or other clear sealant (optional). Now you are ready to hand and enjoy your new art piece.

This project can be done on several small panels to create one large art piece or you can use a single larger wood panel. I think it will be fun to place four small panels together that are each different, but with a similar motif. I did not invest a lot of money into my panel, I actually found the panel at the dollar store, which was a great buy. If you will like to use a larger or higher quality wood art panel, try your local art supply store.

Let me know what you think of this project and if you will try it yourself.

Happy crafting!