Making Simple Word Art with Paint and Candle Wax

This is a really awesome, therapeutic art project - and what's amazing about it is that it is adaptable to all ages and skill levels! You can make your own if you are a creative person confident in your own abilities, or you can pre-make them for a group who may not be so inclined.

I got this idea from a similar project I did in 1st grade - but I just made a bunch of these for an event for middle-aged women, and though they were not creatively-inclined and did not want to make their own, they were happy to paint over some that I had already put Scriptures on in wax prior to the event - and they loved it! They said it was very relaxing - one lady even called it therapeutic, and asked if she could take one home for her daughter in elementary school!

Here is a step by step, simple guide to making any sort of Word Art similar to what is shown above.

You will need: A canvas or thick paper (Canvas preferred), paint (any kind should do, I used simple acrylic paint), paintbrushes, a plastic knife, a tealight, a match, a wax melter and a block of wax.

(In case you don't know what a wax melter is, there is a picture of it beneath this article. All things you will need can be found in almost any craft store).

Step by step instructions:

1. Light the tealight and put it in the bottom part of the wax melter. Put one block of wax in the top, and wait for it to melt.

2. Plan out what you are going to draw or write on your canvas. Wherever you put the wax, the canvas will remain white underneath. (In my picture at the beginning of the article, the words are white because I wrote the words in wax). You can draw, write words, or do whatever you want! Tip: Don't do too much - the more you do, the plainer and whiter it may look. Another tip: Don't trace it in pencil - when you come to the finished product, the wax will come off and any pencil marks you made will be completely visible.

3. With a paintbrush, start writing out your words or drawing your picture. TIp: You do NOT need to cake on wax! Even just ONE layer will completely protect the canvas - if you covered the area you want covered once, there is no reason to go over it again a second or third time.

4. The wax should be dry immediately, so it will be safe to paint once you are done. Choose your colors and paint! Tip: Some fun designs are watercolor blending and fading, splatter paint, stripes, or colors over certain words, which will bring those certain words or pictures out. Another tip: If you plan on painting in designs, find a place where there is no wax to create your design - it will keep your design beautiful and your words will still be able to be easily read.

5. Allow the paint to dry.

6. When your paint is dry, take the butter knife and begin to scrape away the wax you originally put on. Use a napkin to wipe the knife clean after strokes. The wax should come off and reveal the white canvas or paper underneath. Continue scraping until all the wax has come off. Tip: Scrape WITH your letters or drawings. Scrape carefully only the wax covered areas - if you just go side to side over an entire word, it can scrath the non-waxed area, or blend the two areas, and you certainly don't want that! Another tip: On larger areas, you may find it helpful to scrape off the majority of wax, and then use your finger to smudge off whatever is remaining.

It really is a fun project and I hope you give it a try! Some more pinterest pictures and a picture of a wax melter are listed below. I hope you enjoy! Post your art in the comments, if you end up trying this. I would love to see!

-Grace Stevens