A Mixed Media Stand Up Owl Is Perfect For Your Woodland Decorating Theme?

Owl themed crafts are so much fun, and can be done in so many ways, depending on how much time you have to spend and just how many owls you want to make! I am trying to increase my painting skills, so another painted owl, this time a bit more woodsy than my stand up owl with wine cork feet, is what came to be. The only thing I actually planned was that it would be a cut out stand up owl, so I painted it on the back of a piece of cereal box cardboard, and while I am very critical of my own work, I actually really love this gal, she looks to me like a children’s book illustration. I do need to paint some big mushrooms to complete the scene, but for now presenting my mixed media cereal box owl! Ah yes, and just by the way, an owl like this could be great for a woodland themed baby shower, birthday party or any fall/winter occasion, plus he is easy to store and enjoy for years to come!

You’ll Need:

• acrylic paint, red, purple, blue, white, green, yellow
• matt medium or gel medium
• a black sharpie
• a white paint pen
• some light weight mixed media paper or printer paper (the feathers are paper glued onto the piece mid-way)

How To:

1. Paint your cereal box red, or rather blotches of various reds created by mixing red with a bit of white, or blue, or green or yellow. If you use too much paint blot it off onto another piece of paper and save that for another project. Set aside to dry.
2. Make your own paper for the feathers by painting very large brush strokes of deep yellow/mustard on a piece of white paper, set aside to dry.
3. Once the base layer is very dry, using your black sharpie (permanent) marker, draw an owl, similar to the one I’ve drawn, or not. Practice first on a piece of scrap paper.
4. Paint the head and neck by applying loose brush strokes of purple and blue, making sure to leave plenty of the red showing.
5. Apply some color to the wing area as well, here and there and any which way.
6. Cut feather shapes from painted piece of paper, make some solid and some with the center cut out.
7. Arrange your paper feathers on the wing area of the owl, and when you like the arrangment, glue using gel medium or matte medium, or anything that works with acrylic paint, decoupage medium might also work.
8. Now paint the wing areas covering some of the paper feathers with purple or the color of your choice. Set aside to dry.
9. Okay, now for the final touches, using the black sharpie and a white paint pen go ahead and add the little details that make this project sing, or rather hoot!