Owls, owls, and more owls!

Are you loving all the owls out there? At first I was so not going there. Owls? Really? But there are some super stinkin’ cute owls out there – décor, paper, fabric, pillows – owls are everywhere and they are so fun!

So, of course, a couple of owls made it into my Christmas gift making…

Kelsie’s owl

Have you heard of Scherenschnitte? It’s papercutting. Generally with scissors. It’s also usually very delicate. I got into it several years ago and made some really cool paper cuts. Anyway, I saw something somewhere (probably Pinterest) that inspired me to do an owl for my friend Jennifer’s daughter Kelsie. Kelsie is a high school freshmen so I knew I could not make her anything that looked childish. Creating a paper-cut seemed like it would fit the bill. I decided that I would use a canvas instead of paper.

I found a drawing of an owl that I could trace as a pattern for cutting out. Then I gesso’d the back of a 12x12 canvas for ease of cutting plus I was afraid that as I cut the canvas it would unravel or fray. Next, I transferred the pattern onto it. I carefully cut out the owl. After it was done I decided that I wanted to do some water-coloring on the front so I gesso’d that too.

Word to the wise… gesso both sides of the canvas before cutting!!! As it dried the canvas curled and stretched a little so there were a few spots that tore. I was able to do some repair so that you can’t really tell. I felt lucky that I didn’t ruin the whole thing!

Next, I water-colored the owl plus branches and leaves. Blue sponging around the edges and a coat of clear spray sealer were the final steps on the front side. Finally I added a piece of cardstock to the backside to give the canvas a little stability.

I love how it turned out. What do you think?

Charlotte’s owl

Target has this super cute bedding and accessories set called "Love n Nature". When I saw it I just couldn’t resist buying the bedding for Charlotte’s crib and the pillow and the mushroom night light.

I really liked the wall hanging as well but I knew that I could make something very similar for a lot less. In fact, I had everything that I needed to create it.



The base coat is a warm pink that I mixed up. I added the tree limbs using a couple of . The owls, leaves, and hearts are all paper pieced using paper scraps. I added a little outlining and sparkle too. The canvas  board that I used was 16”x20”.

From Charlotte’s perspective, she probably doesn’t even notice it but I had fun making it and it really fits her new room décor.

My owl

I made this owl in October, I think. I bought this wooden owl at Target in the super cheap section. It was $2.50 and not very eye-catching (or at least not eye-catching in a good way). At the time I didn’t know why I even grabbed it. In the end I wish that I had bought several!

My plan was to cover it with paper. You know, dress it up a little.  He needed some real help…


This photo doesn’t really do it justice. This little owl turned out fabulous! It’s covered with scrap patterned paper, doily pieces, ribbon, paint, glitter, crackle paint, ink, and a smidge of glitter.

Mr. Owl is perfect for Halloween so he’ll come out for a visit every Fall.

Are you a fan of owls?

Happy crafting!
Desiree