As new blooms of spring dazzle us with their beautiful pastel or jewel tone petals, equally attractive butterflies gather sweet nectar and flutter away like fairies in the wind.

Experiences like this make it easy to believe in magic.

For our project this week, we will create a beautiful butterfly garden, which will always be fresh and colorful as a spring morning, and it never needs to be watered. Let’s get started…

How to Paint a Wood Carved Butterfly Garden:

Raw Wood Flower Garden

When I first saw this wood carving, I didn’t notice the butterflies. As you begin to add colors, the butterflies appear almost like magic.

Markers

Acrylic Paints

Supplies:
LED Wooden Flower Garden (7” high x 4-1/2” wide x 1-1/8” thick)
Markers – blue, lavender, green, fuchsia, red, yellow & black
Acrylic Paints – white & blue, plus metallic paints: gold, rust, blue, & purple
Paintbrushes

Color with Markers

Begin coloring the flowers and leaves. If you are undecided between two colors, try the lightest color first. You can always go darker, if desired. If you make a mistake, it can be covered with paint to match the wood and then try again with the markers.

Color Remaining Leaves with Markers

The butterflies really stand out now against the boldly colored leaves and flowers.

Paint the Butterflies with Acrylics

I experimented with different base colors for each butterfly, depending upon how well they contrasted with the surrounding vegetation. To complete this project, you could paint the butterfly wing details with acrylics too, but I had already decided to use three dimensional paints, as shown below.

Advanced 3D Painting:

3-Dimensional Fabric Paints

Supplies:
Fabric Paints – red, pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, lavender & black

Paint the Butterflies with 3D Paints

Create wings patterns with dots, stripes, contrasting colors, etc.

Paint the Flower Petals with 3D Paints

Define Details by Layering 3D Paints

Finished Project

Define leaf veins, stems, and flower centers with 3D paints. I added vines and leaves in a few spots along the perimeter. Paint the outer edge and backer board with light blue acrylic paint.

Finished Project Lit

The concealed LEDs give a soft purple glow in the dark, which serves perfectly as a nightlight.

I hope you enjoyed this transformative journey. Together, we have created a garden that will last for generations to come. What is your favorite flower or butterfly? Please let me know in the comments section.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!