Inspired by a post at Fresh Picked Whimsy, my sister and I organized a “secret” activity for the family to do together: A Self-Portrait Party.

Project Materials:

• Hardwood blocks or canvases
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Paper plates
• Mirrors
• Pencils

We had some hardwood blocks that we prepared by painting a plain color with acrylic paint. You could also use canvases, or high-quality artist's paper. Or, use up what you have on hand. You could paint vinyl records, recycled cardboard boxes, or whatever you have on hand. You might need to experiment with different kinds of paint if you want to go one of these routes.

You can pick up paint brushes, acrylic paint, hand mirrors, pencils, canvases (sometimes), wooden plaques, frames, and paper plates at the dollar store if you want to keep your party on a budget.

We gathered acrylic paints, paint brushes, paper plates (to use as individual palettes), and set up tables to give each person a workspace. We provided pencils to sketch with, and mirrors to use for reference.

We let people choose their blocks one by one, then everyone got down to work. Some people used the computer to take a picture of themselves to refer to. Even the reluctant people got into the project. They even ended up taking the longest on their portraits! All of them said they enjoyed the project.

This would be a great thing to do with a group of friends, family, roommates, or even co-workers. A self-portrait gallery on vinyl would look so great in a hip workspace!

Whoever you do it with, be sure to display the results grouped together for greatest impact.

For more shockingly hip crafts made from dollar store stuff, check my blog: Dollar Store Crafts.