Tub Time Art Gallery!

I came up with this idea the other day during The Kiddo's bathtime. She had been drawing her little masterpieces with no frame to put them in. I quickly decided how to solve this little problem. I made some frames for her art work. I made each frame out of adhesive vinyl, using colors that coordinate with the bathroom decor. I am quite pleased with how it came out.

Here is how you do it:

If you have a Silhouette or similar machine, this project is uber easy, but you can still do it the old-fashioned way as well. First, you will need a frame clipart or silhouette image. I bought mine from Print Candee on Etsy. Here is the link for the ones I bought at Print Candee.

Then you will need some adhesive vinyl. I like opaque finish the best. I then cut my image out using the outline tracing feature on my Craft Robo. Here is what mine looked like after I cut the image and weeded it.

If you do it right, you can even cut multiple frames at once. Here is a picture of one I did that way. I just put one inside the other.

One your image has been cut, remove all the vinyl that is not part of the design. When that is done, remove it from the backing (very slowly) and apply it like a sticker to your surface very carefully. You might not want to do a final stick until you know it's good and perfect. I had to lift mine a few times to get it right. Once you have done your final stick, smooth out any bubbles and such.

If you don't have a craft cutter, simply find, make, or purchase a picture frame design. Print it out on printer paper and then place the pattern on top of your vinyl. Next, cut out the image and vinyl at the same time. Apply it to the tub and your work is done.

When it comes to positioning, put it some place that can be easily reached by your child. I don't recommend putting it where the tub water normally touches, because vinyl is made up of some crazy chemicals. I use PVC-FREE vinyl for all my heat-transfer applications, but have not been able to find an adhesive vinyl that is PVC-FREE.  You never know what could be leaching into your kiddo's bathwater. So keep it above tub water level.  If you are apprehensive about using vinyl, you could use fabric. I am not sure how well that would hold up to mildew and the like, and you would still have the problem of how to adhere it to the tub.  Let me know if you have any solutions.

And no, this is not My Kiddo's artwork, it's mine. She hasn't seen it yet. I hope she loves it!

***If doing it the old-fashioned way stressed you out, please be sure to subscribe to my blog and "like" me on Facebook. I will be giving away a Silhouette Cameo to one of our readers once we reach 150 "likes" or 100 subscribers to my blog. Incentive enough? I thought so.