You know what they say – April showers bring May flowers! This is such a fun project for kids to do – not only will they have their own umbrella to protect them from the rain, but they can make it a one-of-a-kind umbrella with their favorite colors. For this project, kids get to have fun with fabric spray paint and try a resist technique to make stars and heart patterns on their umbrellas. There are six kids-sized umbrellas in each pack, so it is the perfect project to do with friends!
To create patterns on the DIY umbrella, use adhesive foam stickers in various shapes. We tried stars and hearts. These thick foam stickers work great for this paint resist technique because their thickness doesn’t allow paint to seep through and they are easily removable afterwards.
Choose your favorite colors of fabric spray paint and begin spraying the umbrella, making sure to cover the foam shapes completely. This project is best done outdoors. We picked a calm day with little breeze so that the umbrellas wouldn’t blow around, then laid out a plastic tablecloth to catch any over spray. The kids had so much fun covering their painted umbrellas with their favorite colors!
Let the umbrellas dry a little before removing the stickers to reveal the design. We took our stickers off the next day while the umbrellas were still slightly wet. The umbrellas can take up to 48 hours to dry completely so leave them propped open in a cool dry area.