A painted gift is worth more to a grandparent than almost anything you could buy, and the reason is not sentiment. It is that the object carries evidence of the hours you spent on it.
Five projects below, in order of how much time they take. All of them use ordinary acrylic paint.
1. A Keychain From a Familiar Place
The smallest project here and a good first one. A blank wooden or metal keychain blank, a fine brush, and a building or landmark from somewhere they know well — a church, a cabin, a bridge, the house they lived in.
You need: a blank keychain, acrylic paint, one fine brush, clear varnish.
Sketch the design on paper first at the actual size, which is smaller than you think. Outline on the blank with the fine brush, fill in, let it dry fully, then varnish — a keychain lives in a pocket and unvarnished acrylic will not survive that.
An hour, most of it drying.
2. A Photo Clock
Twelve photographs from twelve different years, standing in for the numbers on a clock face. It is a good idea and it reliably lands.
You need: a round wooden blank, a clock mechanism kit, acrylic paint, twelve printed photos, glue.
- Paint the wood in a color they would actually choose, and let it dry properly — acrylic is touch-dry in minutes and fully cured much later.
- Scan and print the photos small enough that twelve fit around the face without crowding. Print on matte paper; gloss reflects and is hard to read.
- Mark the twelve positions before you glue anything. Measuring here is what separates a nice object from a wonky one.
- Glue the photos down, then fit the clock mechanism through the center hole.
Chronological order round the face is the version that makes people cry, in the good way.
3. A Painted Portrait on Burlap
Burlap has a texture that suits a soft, loose portrait, and it looks considered in a frame.
You need: burlap, acrylic paint, foam board, glue, a frame.
Measure the frame opening and cut the burlap two or three inches larger on every side. Iron it flat first — low heat, no steam.
One thing worth knowing before you start: burlap is thirsty and open-weave, so paint sinks in and edges spread. Prime it with a coat of white acrylic or gesso first, or work deliberately loose and let the texture do the work. Do not attempt fine detail on raw burlap; it will not hold it.
When the paint is dry, stretch the burlap over foam board, fold the edges to the back, glue them down, hold with clips until dry, and frame it.
4. A Story Album
The most personal thing on this list. Grandparents tell the same handful of stories for years; painting them turns a story into an object.
You need: drawing paper, cardboard, cover paper, glue, a needle and strong thread, a ruler, a pushpin.
Making the book: fold a stack of paper in half, mark evenly spaced points along the fold, and pierce them with a pushpin. Sew through the holes with a doubled, knotted thread, in and out and back again, then knot off inside. Trim the edges if they are uneven.
For the cover, cut two boards to the page size plus a quarter inch at the top and outer edge, plus a narrow strip for the spine. Glue them to your cover paper with an inch and a half margin all round, fold the margins over, and glue the first and last pages of the block to the inside covers.
Painting it: one story per opening, and keep it simple. A house, a car, a dog, a wedding. Let each page dry completely before turning it, or you will glue the book shut.
An afternoon for the book, and as long as you like for the pages.
5. A Resin-Coated Coaster
Useful, and it sits on a table where visitors ask about it. It is the longest project here because of the waiting.
You need: a blank ceramic or marble coaster, acrylic paint, casting resin, gloves.
Clean the coaster, paint the design — a wedding photograph works well — and then leave it alone. Acrylic must be fully cured before resin goes over it, not merely dry to the touch. A week is a sensible minimum, longer if the paint is thick, or the resin can cloud or lift.
Pour the resin in a well-ventilated room, wearing gloves, with the coaster raised on something disposable so the overflow runs off the edges. Cover it while it cures so dust does not settle in.
If You Would Rather Paint Something Larger
The projects above all ask you to draw. If drawing is the part standing between you and the gift, a numbered kit removes it — the composition and colors are settled, and the evening goes on brushwork.
Custom Paint by Numbers turns a photograph into a numbered canvas printed in the United States, which is the closest thing to this list at wall size: the house they raised a family in, the dog, the wedding photograph. Finished ones are in the customer gallery.
If you would rather give a kit than a finished painting — many people do, since it gives them the evenings as well as the picture — our catalog is here. Hummingbird, Rural Route Bluebirds and Northwoods Retreat are the ones our own reviewers most often call approachable, which matters if the recipient has not painted before. The beginner's guide is worth tucking in with it.
One Practical Note
Whatever you make, sign and date the back of it. Grandparents keep these things for decades, and the person who eventually inherits it will want to know who made it and when.
