Watercolor Crucifix Activity

You are going to love this Watercolor Crucifix activity. It is extra special to do it during Holy Week. To get started, click the button below to download the PDF:

Ready to start this easy and super meaningful activity? Great, let’s do it!

Supplies needed:

1. Watercolor paints
2. Paint brush
3. Black or clear crayon
4. Crucifix Silhouette (download above!) printed on thick paper

How to create your own Watercolor Crucifix Art:

1. Print the PDF of the Crucifix Silhouette on sturdy paper.
2. If you are using a standard at-home printer, you will need to take an extra step to protect the silhouette from smearing during the painting process. Do this by carefully coloring over the image with either a black or clear crayon. If you are using a profession laser printer, you can skip this step.
3. Crack open the watercolors and start painting!

Here are a few tips to make sure that even your youngest artists create something beautiful.

1. Before you paint, take a few minutes to look at pictures of beautiful sunsets. Ask the children to notice what colors they see and how the colors are laid out (horizontal, mostly and stretching from one side of the sky to the other).
2. Encourage children to use lots of water when the paint. We simulate a beautiful sunset when we allow our watercolor colors to blur together and they will only do this if we use enough water.
3. Finally, and SUPER IMPORTANT FOR LITTLE ONES: if possible remove access to black and brown. I have watched all of my little kids reunion beautiful pieces by going over it all with black paint. 😉

And that’s it!

I hope that this project brings beauty and wonder to your home this Lent. We have done this project every year in our home, and even my 12-year-old enjoys sitting down to do it again. For that matter, I enjoy making a watercolor crucifix every year!

If you are willing, I would love to see your finished art pieces! Feel free to send a picture to me directly at nancy@catholicsprouts.com

In Christ Jesus,

Nancy