Painted Gifts for Dog Lovers

For your dog-loving friends, a handmade gift says loud and clear how much you value both your friendship with that person and her friendship with her dog. Hand-painted gifts can be completed by anyone, whether a child or an adult, and they hold a special charm all their own. Plus they have the added bonus of being one of a kind. Hand-painted gifts come in a variety of shapes and forms and can be adapted for almost any timeframe or age group. So, get out your craft supplies and start on that gift.

  1. To Wear

    • A new pair of jeans, a pair of socks, a T-shirt or most any other article of clothing can provide a canvas for a painted gift. Fabric paints work best on most fabrics and can be applied straight from the bottle or with a brush. Acrylic paints can be used on cotton T-shirts and denim and can also be applied straight from the bottle or with a brush. Sarah Farr, an artist, advises using brushes for detailed designs and bottle applications for outlines and lettering. Dog collars can also be dressed up, either for decorations or for the dog to wear on special occasions. Designs should be made on parts of clothing that do not receive a lot of wear (i.e., soles of the feet and knees). Hip pockets, cuffs and shoulders work well for both showing off the design and making it last.

    To Eat

    • Almost any light-colored food can be dyed with food coloring. Food coloring can also be used to make "paint" or "glaze." Use your favorite glaze recipe and add food coloring for the paint. Add cornstarch to thicken the glaze if necessary. Frosting can also be used for cakes. Sugar cookies and cakes work best for people, and you can make your own dog biscuits to decorate. Dr. O. Overlease, a veterinarian, strongly warns against using chocolate, onions or any other foods poisonous to dogs in your treats for the dog. These designs should be kept simple. Cake designs can be more elaborate, but for dog biscuits and cookies, outlines and lettering work best.

    To Use

    • Ceramics and pottery are some of the most well-known usable gifts and include plates, cups, mugs, teapots, dog food bowls, etc. But because these items will be used and washed, many of these gifts need to be glazed to keep the paint from chipping off. Acrylic paints can be used for some pieces, but if you are painting a piece of pottery that must be fired, you need to use paints that will survive the fires of the kiln. If the gift is going to be used for eating or drinking, kiln-fired pottery is a good option. Check with the pottery store where you are getting your pottery glazed and fired to find out whether the pottery will be dishwasher and microwave safe. (Include a note with the gift detailing how to clean it.) Flower pots, beads, buttons, coasters, light switch plates and spoon holders do not have to be fired and can be glazed with regular craft store glaze. More unusual painted gifts could include wooden chairs with a design painted on the back and legs. Chests of drawers, bureaus and other wooden furniture, including dog bed hideaways, can be painted with acrylic paint and do not need to be glazed.

    To Decorate

    • Decorative gifts open all doors on creativity. These gifts would include paintings and decorative plates along with any other painted item that is meant to be looked at and not used. Tree bark, cleaned and sealed, makes a good background for a painted scene. Cleaned and blown eggs are a more unusual painted gift. These type of gifts can have more intricately painted surfaces and will likely require oil or acrylic paints and a variety of brushes. Glaze is optional, although it can add a nice gloss while protecting it.