Children will be very proud of their animal stencil paintings, so be sure to hang them around the house to show off and encourage their creativity.
Download one of our printable templates by clicking on the name to access the file:Giraffe, Butterfly, Elephant, Flower and Kite. Print the silhouette(s) and then cut the shape(s) out of the paper. (Your child's initial would also be a fun option for the project. Just print the letter in your favorite font.)
Cover the back of the cutout shape with glue dots or double-sided tape and adhere it to the canvas. Make sure all the little dots (ie the giraffe's tail) have something to hold them on.
Pick your paint colors and place them on the palette (a paper plate will work fine). Start your brush strokes at the top of the silhouette and radiate out to the edges.
Work around the silhouette, always moving away from the template. We went all the way to the edges and varied the shades of pink around the canvas, but you can let the kids get creative with how they want to paint them.
Let the paint dry and then remove the silhouette leaving only the white space below.
Hang the artwork on your child's wall and admire.