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Non-permanent wall decor

children's artwork drawn on contact paper
I’ve written about this idea before as a way to let kids write on the walls without really writing on the walls, but I like it even more now that I’ve found matte contact paper. The matte version barely reflects light at all, so it’s more subtle. One of these days I plan to pull out a really LONG strip for my kids to decorate, so it can be a large scene on the wall. Maybe at Emma’s fifth birthday party? Should I trust a bunch of random four- and five-year-olds with sharpie pens?

We sit at the table to decorate the contact paper with Sharpie pens, and then peel it off to hang up. Here is Emma’s most recent drawing, of a four-legged (?) princess standing under the sky, the moon, the sun, and a cloud. I like all of the individual blades of grass.

Emma's picture

I never know what Johnny is drawing, but I like the bright colors!

Johnny's drawing
Lily isn’t quite old enough to be trusted with Sharpie pens, so this is a naptime-only activity. =)

I’m linking this post to Kids get Crafty at Red Ted Art.

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

13 thoughts on “Non-permanent wall decor”

  1. @Susana – Thanks! Sharpies always make me a little nervous, but the kids love them. And I’m told they do come off with Magic Eraser – thankfully I’ve never had to try, so far at least!

    @LiEr – I’m hoping to get at least a few more months of napping out of Lily…

  2. Ah, your youngest still naps. Lucky.

    Very clever idea! Must copy. I think it would be fun watching the expressions on the faces of my older two when I tell them they CAN draw on the wall with permanent markers ;)
    .-= LiEr´s last blog ..Rapunzel- Nabbing A Prince =-.

  3. This is such a fun idea Mary Anne! All of my kids would enjoy this, well, except Jesse, who would probably love it, but like you there is NO way he is getting hold of a Sharpie:-)!!

    I like how bright and colorful your kids’ drawings are, and they are each full of personality.

    In reading the comments above, a chalkboard wall would be SO much fun!
    .-= Susana´s last blog ..Super Cute and Easy Trick-or-Treat Bags =-.

  4. @Jen – There’s a half wall in our kitchen, and I am always toying with the idea of turning it into a chalkboard…

    @Ticia – My kids LOVE this, so I’m sure yours would too =)

    @Our Nifty Notebook – We’ll see if I’m brave enough to try the birthday party version… I think it could be all right if we taped it to the kitchen tile to draw on and then transferred to the wall when we were done…

  5. These drawings do look great on the wall. Believe it or not – we have almost no wall space – shelves are practically everywhere :)
    .-= Natalie´s last blog ..Geography Track Australian Animals =-.

  6. Elisa | blissfulE

    Beautiful! I love the vivid colours! You know I would run screaming in terror from the idea of setting a bunch of 4- and 5-year-olds loose with Sharpies, but you’re made of sturdier stuff than I! :) It sounds memorable! :)

    Michael will draw in a similar way to Johnny, but Nikki only “writes.” Even though she knows how to form all the letters, she rarely does when she’s “writing.” She loves to fill the page with more or less regular lines and then “read” the story or letter to me. :) I’ll have to write down one of her translations sometime.
    .-= Elisa | blissfulE´s last blog ..gardening without work 4th garden update =-.

    1. @Elisa – I would love to see one of Nikki’s stories! Emma went through a phase where she “wrote” like that, and she still goes back to it every once in a while.

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