Four out of five of us have our birthdays in August, and C’s birthday rounds up the month of birthdays. He brought me out for a really nice meal on my birthday, and I actually planned to bring him for a dinner and baking class, but because we’re attending quite a few of the Asian Games events, we decided to postpone his birthday celebrations. It’s a good thing we did too, because the twins fell quite ill (Didi got amebiasis AGAIN and Meimei caught a bacterial infection which caused high fever and diarrhoea) so we went out with N for a simple birthday dinner nearby, before coming home for cake with the twins.
For C’s birthday this year, I decided that a DIY gift from all three kids would be pretty unique. N did a tape resist canvas craft two years ago, and I liked how that turned out, and since the twins have done tape resist painting before, I figured it was the easiest thing to do, that would involve all three of them.
I got a long canvas board from a local bookstore, and used some 3M® masking tape to create the word “Daddy” on it. It looked a bit empty when I was done, so I added five little hearts around the word.
The Board
Painting on canvas boards is a bit trickier, as acrylic paint is needed, and it’s not as washable as well, washable paint, so I was a tad nervous about letting the twins use it. I limited them to only three colours, since they tend to mix everything together, and I didn’t want the board to turn out too dark.
Ready to make a mess paint
Painting
The twins were really keen to start painting, but kept insisting on painting the same areas over and over again. I had to guide them quite a bit, as they left many empty patches, and I needed to ensure that they painted over the edges of the tape properly. They got bored after a while, which I totally expected, so I let them paint on the recycled vanguard sheet I taped on the table to protect it from their erm, artwork.
Done with their parts on the canvas
Done making a mess
When N came home from school, I got him to finish up the painting, and I really liked that he added some white paint on top of some parts that Didi and Meimei painted. I think he did a pretty good job of completing the painting!
KorKor to the Rescue!
I left the canvas board to dry overnight, then peeled out the masking tape the next day. I was a tad nervous about how it would turn out, since I knew that the twins painted over the hearts, and some of them moved a little in the process. I think three of the hearts don’t quite look like hearts, but the overall product looks good to me!
Final product after being dried overnight
Peel off the tape, and Daddy’s gift is ready!
I half-expected N to tell C all about it, since we worked on it a few days before C’s actual birthday, but surprisingly, he was able to keep it a secret. He almost gave it away when he whispered loudly to me, “We can give Daddy his present!” the night before, when I told N that it was Daddy’s birthday the next day, but thankfully, I shushed him quickly, and C didn’t hear him.
On C’s birthday itself, N suddenly decided that he wanted to make C a fan, so I printed a photo of the three of them for him. He cut out another circle so he could write and draw on it, then I laminated the two sheets together, and pasted an ice-cream stick on it.
C’s DIY fan from N
Posing with the fan he made for Daddy
The kids were really excited about giving the gifts to C, and Didi kept saying, “Didi paint! Didi paint!” Way to claim all the credit, Didi, even though you only painted a third of it before losing interest and painting your hand…
DIY Gifts for Daddy
Happy (birth)day, Daddy!
Happy birthday, C! May God bless you with good health and give you wisdom at work and at home. We love you very much!