Paint choices on canvas really come down to tempera or acrylic and there are pros and cons to both. Tempera paint is washable, but I find it to be chalky and not as vibrant as acrylic paint. You may not be able to find as many colors with tempera and mixing paint can be a huge waste of time (and paint if you don’t get the colors right). It can also be very thin and doesn’t coat the canvas as well. As you can tell, my only pro for tempera paint is washability.
How to Host Your Own Paint Party At Home
When it comes to kid’s birthday parties, the possibilities are just about endless. From invitations to decorations, locations to cakes, guest lists to entertainment, it can be overwhelming (not to mention themes and party favors)! If you’ve planned a birthday party in the last decade, you get it. Parties are getting more entertaining (and more expensive) all the time. How can you create a party that your kids will remember, without breaking the bank (or losing your sanity)?
Most kids like to be creative and want to try something different. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, I have cost-effective and easy-to-implement solutions for you! You CAN host a paint party at home. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Choose A Painting Party Location
I know the combination of art and kids in your home can feel chaotic and stressful. Rest assured, there are ways to lessen any potential mess while pulling off a professional-looking party. Once you decide to have the party at home, think about the best location. Do you have a backyard with some shade or a basement? What about your garage? If you take the cars out, is there room to set up 1-2 folding tables? A shaded driveway will also work. If it’s the middle of winter, do you have a neighborhood clubhouse? Those folding tables are also useful on top of a disposable plastic table cover on tile or a hard floor.
Most people have at least one place to set up tables inside or outside. If all you have is a dining room table on carpet, we can work with that too! Use a few disposable table covers for the floor and another one for the table. Pay attention to any spills and clean them up right away so they aren’t tracked around the rest of your house. Kids who are done painting can wash up and move on to eating a snack or playing with some toys in the next room. Suggest to parents that they stay during the painting time if they want to drop off their kids.
In my art party business, I have done parties in each of these locations. Each party is different, but the setup and thoughtful planning are always the same. I tell my clients that all I need from them is a trash can and access to a sink. It takes about 10 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to clean up. Time is really spent in preparation which we will talk about in the following steps to hosting your own art party at home.
Step 2: Decide On A Paint Party Theme
While an art party is a theme in itself, exactly what are the kids going to paint? Giving kids a blank canvas and some paint usually doesn’t work very well in a party setting. It’s much better to coordinate something for them to paint ahead of time so they aren’t struggling to come up with a picture themselves or feeling lost and getting discouraged. Remember that you are planning a party, not an art class!
A theme can be anything that the birthday boy or girl likes (or even the first initial of each child’s name). Sometimes it’s easy to find decorations first and then come up with a design for your painting. If the stores are completely out of unicorn supplies, then maybe a princess theme with tiaras and scepters will work. You can even choose a theme based on food like ice cream or animals like butterflies or dinosaurs. If they really want a specific movie character, then run with that for the decorations and pick an aspect of that character to paint. Spiderman might be all they are interested in, but you can have them paint rectangular buildings and a spider web. Pre-drawing the outline of the design is a major part of planning the party that we will talk about in step 4.
Host a Painting Party at Home
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There are so many fun crafts for adults to try that it only makes sense to get together and have loads of fun while you make them. If you enjoy rock painting, you might want to learn more about rockpainting beautiful painted rocks.
Looking for another fun craft to try? Why not learn more about diamond art kits and see how much fun they are.
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Host a Painting Party at Home
So, what do you need to do to have friends over for a painting night? There are lots of easy ways to host a party. But, here are a few simple tips to make sure that yours is the most fun ever.
3 to 4 weeks before your party
When planning your event, be sure to ask for RSVPs when you send out invitations. You don’t want to have enough snacks and supplies for 5 only to have 8 people to show up.
Once you know how many people will be attending, you can plan out your menu and be sure you have enough food. Make sure you plan for a large enough table with extra drop cloths as well.
Shop for all of your supplies. I love these cute wooden cutouts. They are a nice change from a blank easel that may intimidate people who are new to the craft.
There are lots of different themes including patriotic, Christmas, sports, and religious. Consider letting your guests choose the cut out they want to make.
Remember, you will also need paint in a variety of colors and lots of paintbrushes.
1 week before your big day
It’s almost time for your event and you need to start planning what you’ll be serving. Try to choose recipes that can be made ahead of time.
When you host a painting party at home, you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking while your friends are having fun. A meat and cheese tray is just perfect for this.
2 to 3 days before
Now is the time to head to the store for groceries and drinks for your guests. Don’t forget extra paper products and disposable plates if you don’t want to do dishes.
Make sure that you have enough chairs for everyone that wants to attend. Check to be sure you have drop cloths for both the tables and the chairs.
1 day before
Do any kitchen prep work you can to save time tomorrow. Get your supplies together and make sure you’re not missing anything.
Do your final cleaning and consider getting a bouquet of fresh flowers for the table.
The day of the party
Welcome your guests. Get everyone seated and let them have fun. Be sure you have plenty of fresh water available to rinse your brushes.
Supplies to host a painting party at home
If you want to host a painting event at home, start with these gorgeous cutouts and follow a few of my paint party ideas to make your day a success. And, make sure you take lots of photos to share.
- Wooden cutouts
- Acrylic paints (or Sharpie markers if you prefer)
- Paintbrushes
- Snacks, drinks, ice
- Drop cloths
There are so many uses for these wooden cutouts. You can use them as front door decor. Or, they can double as a hot pad or a charger for your plates over the holidays.
- How to make skin tone paint.
- Rock painting designs
- Flower rock painting
- Best kids art easel
- Painted rocks ideas
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable baby girl. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and play games. If you’d like to work together, email [email protected] to chat.
