DIY Wisconsin Craft

While winter is filled with many fun activities (sledding down Bascom anyone!?), living in Wisconsin means it can sometimes be too cold to even walk outside.  This can lead to being stuck indoors with little to do except that mountain of homework you’ve been putting off.  When you decide to procrastinate with your homework, you reach for your computer to catch up on all of your favorite TV shows.  Don’t get me wrong, endless Netflix marathons with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in your cozy bed are great, but one can only be a couch potato for so long. 

It just so happens that one of the perfect remedies for being a couch potato is crafting!  Crafting is a perfect way to bond with friends and make an awesome decoration to spice up your boring dorm walls.  This DIY craft is cheap, easy to make, and the perfect way to display your badger pride in your dorm or living room!  This craft would also make a perfect gift and can be modified for pretty much any school.  So turn off the Netflix, grab a group of friends, and craft the day away.

Supplies you will need: Any size canvas, black acrylic paint, red acrylic paint, white acrylic paint, a white paint marker, silver glitter, tacky glue, black sharpie

Step 1: Once you have purchased your supplies (which can all be found at a local craft store), lay down some newspaper to avoid any spills or messes.  Lay out the canvas and paint two coats of black paint on the entire canvas.

Step 2: Once the canvas is completely dry, outline the state of Wisconsin in the center of the canvas using an image of the outline of our beloved state printed from the computer (unless you have a perfect photographic memory) 

Step 3: This is the part of the project where you really let your inner Badger pride shine! Using the white paint pen, fill up the canvas with your favorite Wisconsin sayings, cheers, and images.  Can you say, “first and ten Wisconsin”!? 

Step 4:  Now it’s time to get back to the state you outlined.  The reason I would recommend waiting to paint the state is so that you don’t have to worry about smudging the paint while you write the sayings across the canvas.  Using either white acrylic paint or your paint marker, color in the entire state.

Step 5: Once the white paint is dry, it’s time to trace yet again! Print off the “W” Badger logo and trace it in the center of the state.  Using a small paint brush, paint the entire “W” red.  Then carefully trace the outside of the “W” with a black sharpie to really make the letter pop.

Step 6: In Ke$ha spirit, “Throw some glitter!” Use tacky glue to outline the state.  Carefully drop glitter on the glue and wait to dry.  Once dry, shake the canvas so the remaining glitter will fall off.

Step 7: Hang up your masterpiece for all to see! 

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