DIY Birth stats canvas from baby's first art

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Have you ever tried to make art or craft with your baby? I tried the popular baby's art project with my 7-month-old son and it turned out super cute. I wanted to have it as a keepsake so, I turned it into his birth stats canvas using an electronic cutting machine. Don't worry if you don't have an electronic cutting machine, you can still use other supplies to make this birth stats canvas. (scroll down)Now, let's see how to do the canvas. 

Materials Used :

8" X 10" canvas

Washable kids paint

Plastic wrap

Oracal 651 vinyl in the desired colors

An electronic cutting machine

Transfer paper or contact paper

Creating baby's art

Squeeze a dollop of paint in random colors all over the canvas. Cover the canvas with the plastic wrap and let the baby have fun.I did just one layer of plastic wrap but I would recommend doing two or three layers as the paint leaked through while we were having fun. Once the baby is done having fun, it is time for you to have fun.😉 Cover any area that is white by spreading the paint before removing the plastic wrap and let the paint dry. It almost took a day for the paint to dry. 

Wanna see how the above photo turned into the below one? Follow me on Instagram. I will be sharing a short video clip of my son doing this art in the Insta stories. I have been sharing hauls, crafty tips in the stories lately so don't forget to follow and share your feedback. I love reading your comments and replying back. 

Designing the Birth stats canvas

Open your cutting machine's software, in my case, I am using Silhouette software to design the birth stats. I am not a pro at cutting vinyl using the silhouette. I am still figuring out the perfect way to cut vinyl. But I will share how I made and the regrets, so it will be helpful for you to not repeat the same thing. 

First things first, Measure your canvas before starting to design. For some reason, I thought the canvas I'm using is 8.5" X 11" and completed cutting the vinyl only to find out that the canvas is 8 X10 while trnasferring the design. My luck, I only had to cut the balloons string a little bit to fit the design on the canvas.

I used the fonts Copperplate and Marker felt for the stats.I wanted to represent the stats inside the object denoting the particular stat.For example, a weighing scale for weight. So, I googled royalty free black and white images, traced it in the silhouette software and included the stat inside. You can also search the silhouette library or design store for designs. 

I used "Offset" to create an extra outline for the interior parts of the images so that I can weed/remove that part and make the image look nicer. I also used the option "Weld" to join the crown to the letter "J" and to attach the bow to the balloons. 

I decided to use three colors of vinyl, so I separated the parts based on that and added a rectangle around the images to make the weeding easier. I learned this tip from Melissa at Silhouette school blog. If you want detailed silhouette tutorial you can check her blog. I learned a lot from her blog when I initially got my cutting machine and I am still learning.

When I tried to weed the design, I missed the dot of the "i" in the New Brunswick and the inner parts of 6, 9, b and o in weight. I did not want to try hard to make it look perfect as these errors are not very noticeable. I couldn't figure why this happens even when I cut the vinyl in the lower speed. I'm sure I will find it in the future with practice. 😜

As I don't do a lot of vinyl project, I did not purchase a transfer paper separately. Instead, I used a clear contact paper to transfer the vinyl to the canvas. Surprisingly, it was easier than I thought.  

Since I did not measure the canvas correctly, there was more gap in between the name and the elephant row. So, I used a shape scissors and added a strip of vinyl to adjust the gap. I love how it turned out in spite of all the mistakes. 

What to do you think about the end result? Do you like it? I still question myself whether I should have used just white for all the stats instead of using three colors. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Coming to the alternate ways you can do this without a cutting machine, 

1) Use stickers(you even get vinyl letters stickers) or make your own sticker and print it at home using sticker paper. 

2) Use paint pens to draw and write the stats. If you are scared to do it straight on the canvas, use a pencil to pre-sketch your design. 

3) Use stencils and paint. 

4) Use cut wood letters for the name and numbers and write the remaining letters using paint pen. 

I hope you give this canvas a try even if you don't have the cutting machine. Have fun and share a picture of your work if you happen to make it. I will be happy to see your creation. Tag me in any of the social media.

Other Silhouette projects you might like, 

How to make personalized Candy bars

How to convert simple drawings into stipple art using silhouette curio

How to do prints on leather using stencil