The girls come from a family of painters. Their grandma (my mother-in-law) has done some beautiful paintings and drawings –in my opinion, she is the queen of sunsets. Their abuela (great-grandma) is an accomplished artist who often combines her work of counseling with art creating simply stunning works.

I enjoy painting and try to do it regularly (one of my pieces actually hang in our sitting area). I’m a firm believer in including your children in what you enjoy. The girls show a great amount of interest whenever I bring my supplies out and I wanted to be able to include them more and more. Right now, they aren’t really ready for paints. They are still mouthing most things and, honestly, I’m not too excited about the mess that would be involved. So we started painting with water on cardboard and ice painting.

While painting on cardboard is a great solution and enjoyable, it doesn’t dry very quickly. I remember the Buddha Board I had seen at Epcot and thought that might be great alternative. But once I saw the price, the idea of getting two, at this time, seemed like a lot. I also wanted it to be a little more durable and portable. I was ready to write off this idea and just keep with cardboard, when I saw Japanese reusable calligraphy paper in the related options. At an affordable price, it was perfect! I just needed to make it so that the girls could easily use it.

I asked my husband to create a frame for the reusable paper so there was a spot for their brushes. But when I came across frames at Target on clearance for $3.50, I bought two with the plan to slightly modify them to meet our needs.

Using a chisel, some scrap wood, and safe wood glue I created a platform for their brushes. While the frame itself will be resistant to water, the back needed to be. So we added a layer of shellac to protect it. Cutting the paper to overlap the backing, I was able to secure it by folding it behind. It’s not necessary to glue it, which I don’t recommend, and works perfectly.

One of the best parts of making your own, is that you can create it to whatever size fits your needs.

 

Wallah, a budget-friendly DIY Buddha Board, perfect for two little girls who wish to paint with mummy.

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