It's Always Autumn

creative tutorials for everyday life

  • Holidays
  • Holidays
    • back to school
    • birthdays
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • July 4th
    • Mother’s Day/Father’s Day
    • teacher appreciation
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s
  • Crafts
  • Crafts
    • crafts + DIY
    • handmade gifts
    • photo crafts
    • kid crafts + activities
  • Recipes
  • Recipes
    • bread
    • dessert
    • main dish
    • side dish
  • Sewing
  • Sewing
    • free sewing patterns
    • sewing for women
    • sewing for kids
    • how to sew
    • gifts
  • Photography
  • Photography
    • beginning photography tips
    • posing tips
    • photo editing tips
  • Tips
  • Tips
    • parenting tips
    • travel tips
    • books I love
  • FAQ

crafts crafts + DIY fun for kids printables
April 8, 2019

Make gorgeous (cheater) watercolor prints using markers + water

In today’s post: Learn how to make these beautiful watercolor art prints using just markers and water!

I am completely incompetent when it comes to art. When I was a kid and my family used to play Pictionary, no one wanted me on their team because I couldn’t even draw a recognizable stick figure. Last time I tried hand lettering ended with tears. My most recent attempt at “art” (ladies’ paint night) ended just as badly – we were all laughing so hard I cried. I can craft, and I can sew, but drawing or painting is really out of my comfort zone.

So when I discovered that you can “fake” a pretty watercolor background using markers and water, I was immediately intrigued. This technique is easy enough for both kids and complete art incompetents like me! Pair the cheater watercolor technique with some printable quotes, and you have a really simple project that yields really beautiful results.

These pretty DIY watercolor prints are made with markers, not paint! So easy anyone can do it.

Watercolor with Markers Technique

This cheater watercolor technique is really easy. You start with a printed quote (I have six you can download below) and some old fashioned Crayola markers:

Quote prints and Crayola markers

You’re going to color with the markers on a gallon zip bag, then spray the bag with water. This causes the marker color to run and blend. When you flip the bag over onto your printed quote you end up with a pretty, watercolor-like background:

Quote print with watercolor background and markers

So cool, right? I know it’s not nearly as nuanced as a real watercolor painting would be, but it also doesn’t take any special supplies, training, or talent. So I’ll take it.

Printed quotes with DIY watercolor backgrounds

It’s seriously easy enough for a child to do, but there are enough ways to manipulate the end result that it’s fun for adults, too. I’m hooked!

Watch this video to see the technique in action. Then keep reading to download six free printable quotes and learn all my tips and tricks.

 

Printable Watercolor Quotes

Download my printable quotes by clicking on the links below (remember, the PDF files will just have the quote on a plain white background – you get to add your own watercolor background!):

Make Today Amazing

Easy DIY watercolor print: Make today amazing

Be Kind Anyway

Easy DIY watercolor printable: Be Kind Anyway

Beauty of Their Dreams

Easy DIY watercolor print: believe in your dreams

Do Small Things with Great Love

Easy DIY watercolor printable: Do small things with great love

Change the Ending

Easy DIY watercolor printable: CS Lewis

Not All Who Wander are Lost

Watercolor prints and markers

Supples for Watercolor with Markers Technique

Paper. You can use this technique on a variety of surfaces (Click here to see how I used this technique to decorate Easter eggs!), but since I wanted to combine it with a printable quote, I used 8.5 x 11 paper. I tried a variety of papers so I could figure out which one worked best:

  • Cardstock: Plain white cardstock is easy to find and inexpensive, making it a good choice if you’re doing this as a fun project with kids. However, the water causes it to buckle quite a bit when it dries, so it won’t look great if you’re planning to frame and/or display the finished project.
  • Mixed Media paper (98 lb, order here on Amazon or find at Walmart for quite a bit cheaper): This paper is nicer than cardstock because it’s thicker and has some texture, which looks pretty. It buckles less than cardstock but it’s still hard to get it completely flat. If you use this paper, try leaving it under heavy books for a couple of days after it dries to flatten. NOTE: this paper is 9×12, so you’ll need to trim it before printing on it.
  • Watercolor paper (140lb, order here on Amazon or find at Walmart for around $5): This paper is quite thick and has a really beautiful texture, making it my top choice for this project. It will buckle just slightly from the water, but if you leave page under heavy books for a day or two after it dries it will end up flat enough to look nice on a clipboard or in a document frame. It definitely gives the most professional looking result, and it’s what you see in the photographs in this post. However, because it is so thick it will jam in some printers. If your printer has a top feeder that allows the paper to go through the printer with a gentle bend, it will probably work fine. But if your printer pulls from the front and rolls the paper 180 degrees to come back out the front, chances are this thick watercolor paper will not work. NOTE: this paper is 9×12, so you’ll need to trim it before printing on it.

These pretty DIY watercolor prints are made with markers, not paint! So easy anyone can do it.

Printer. If you want to download one of my printable quotes (or use another favorite one) for this project, you’ll need a printer. I tried this project using pages that had been printed with both an inkjet and a laser printer, and both worked just fine! NOTE: I was able to iron the quotes that I printed on my Inkjet printer, but when I tried ironing the quotes printed on a laser printer they smeared.

Markers. I used regular Crayola Markers. I haven’t tried other brands, although I’m guessing they’d work as well. I also haven’t tried using washable markers.

Plastic. I used a gallon zip bag for my plastic surface because nearly everyone has those on hand, but I’m guessing you could also use a plastic page protector. After each use, you can just wipe the plastic surface clean with a paper towel and use it again!

Spray bottle. Make sure your spray bottle is on the “mist” setting, and fill it with water.

Paper towels. These are helpful for cleaning up any overspray and for blotting excess color.

How to make a Watercolor Print using Markers

First, print whatever quote you’d like to use on one of the papers I mentioned above. Next, lay a gallon zip bag over the quote. If the zip bag has an opaque area that you can write on, make sure that’s facing down.

Printed quote with gallon size ziplock bag

Scribble on the bag with markers. I like to use two different colors that I know will blend well together, maybe three. Do not use colors that will make brown when combined together. I start by scribbling with the first color in four or five different spots, then scribbling with the next color. It will take some experimentation to figure out how much marker ink you want to use, but you really don’t need that much. I like to keep the scribbles contained within the area the quote covers.

Scribbles on a ziplock bag over a printed quote

Next, use your spray bottle to spritz water on the scribbles. You’ll see the marker ink bead up when it gets wet. Again, you’ll want to experiment to see how much water you like to use, but I find that 5 or 6 sprays is generally sufficient.

Squirting water on the scribbles on a plastic bag

Pick up the zip bag and quickly flip it over, then place it back down, centering it over your quote. Depending on how much water you used, some of the ink may run off the bag as you flip it. Rub your fingers over the bag, blending the colors beneath it. You can blend a lot or a little to get a look that you like.

Hand pressing the marker scribbles onto the printed quote

When you’re done blending, slowly peel the bag off your print. At this point you may have some pooling colored water. You can either leave it to dry (it will dry darker in those areas) or you can use a paper towel to blot some of it up. If you blot right away, it will pull more color off. If you wait a few minutes to blot it will pull less color off.

Hand dabbing up extra ink with paper towel

If you don’t like how it looks, blot it up right away and pull off lots of the color, then just repeat the process. You can also repeat the process to add more of one color. Please note that you may get color on your fingers during this process unless you are careful.

You can experiment: blot up more color, layer on more color, spray the finished print with water for a speckled look, etc. I actually recommend experimenting with colors and techniques using plain paper to see what you like best before you start working on the actual prints. It’s tons of fun!

These pretty DIY watercolor prints are made with markers, not paint! So easy anyone can do it.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

Home » printables » Make gorgeous (cheater) watercolor prints using markers + water


44 Comments

free email series

NO FAIL CRAFTS + RECIPES

Get my favorite EASY craft and recipe ideas straight to your inbox!

« How to sew a women’s t-shirt with a contrast shoulder
How to sew a t-shirt neckline with a professional finish »

Comments

  1. Susan says

    April 8, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    Wow, these look fantastic, and just using kid’s markers! No expensive supplies needed. SThank you for such clear instructions. My video wouldn’t play but your written instructions were so good, I didn’t need it. Well done.

    Reply
  2. Kathy says

    April 18, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    These are beautiful, what a great Easter craft.

    Reply
  3. LaTisha says

    May 25, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    I ran across this and have made several! I had crayola washable markers on hand and they worked fine. I got water color paper and cut it down. It runs through my printer fine. I did find that when i print first and water color second, the printer ink comes off some. It looks ok but isn’t a clean look. I don’t know if letting it ‘set’ longer would help, or if it’s because we have a laser jet, but I tried doing the water color first and then printing and it works perfectly!

    Thanks again for your fun idea!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      September 15, 2019 at 6:25 am

      Hi Latisha!

      I’m just wondering, how did you print the watercolour paper? did you put it on a specific setting?

      Thanks for your time.
      – Jade

      Reply
    • Patricia Melo says

      April 22, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      Hi Latisha,

      Thank you for your feedback on doing this craft. I had the same problem and I have an ink jet printer.
      I loved the way you solved it. Thank you!!

      Reply
    • Trish says

      November 12, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      THANK YOU for this tip. I water colored and then printed. These are PERFECT. I am obsessed. I used the markers and tube water colors for more color variation. Awesome texture!

      Reply
  4. Crystal says

    May 29, 2019 at 4:38 am

    I can find anything except the crayola washable markers. Can I use them?

    Reply
    • autumn says

      June 3, 2019 at 9:23 am

      Hey Crystal, I just had a reader tell me she used crayola washable markers and they worked great! I haven’t tried them myself, but it sounds like they should work.

      Reply
      • Jade says

        May 1, 2020 at 10:59 am

        Does this technique work on regular printer paper?
        thanks!

        Reply
      • Gigi says

        May 22, 2020 at 4:35 pm

        It works great with any brand of markers.

        Reply
  5. Kim says

    June 12, 2019 at 2:47 pm

    Can you do these watercolor prints with paint?

    Reply
  6. Clare Manu says

    August 10, 2019 at 9:30 pm

    Where did you get the quotes from? With such clarity.

    Reply
  7. Lindsey says

    August 20, 2019 at 10:01 am

    Hey Autumn! I’ve been trying to get the print to blend well. Every time I flip over the bag with the markers, it just sets and I can’t blend. Suggestions? I really love this idea and want to get it to work! Also, does it make a difference if I free-style write calligraphy vs. a print?

    Reply
    • autumn says

      August 22, 2019 at 6:46 am

      Hi Lindsey. I’d try spraying the bag with more water before you flip it over. It’s the water that help the ink to blend before it sets. As for free-style wrirting calligraphy vs a print, you’ll probably just have to try it and see. It should work just fine, but depending on the pen you use for calligraphy it’s possible the water involved would blur it a bit. I hope you get it worked out!

      Reply
  8. D McGee says

    September 19, 2019 at 8:35 am

    Not all those who wander are lost – JRR Tolkien

    Reply
  9. Christine [email protected] says

    September 25, 2019 at 12:05 am

    I have two questions I hope you will answer. 1) Should I laminate if I plan to sell? Also, I didn’t see where you get your sayings. Hopefully, you have time to answer this.

    Thank you

    Christine

    Reply
  10. Shannon M says

    November 17, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    I tried doing this today and I printed it on watercolor paper. I let the paper “dry” for a few hours before trying the coloring and when I did it instantly bled and smeared black ink everywhere. What is your suggestion? We have an inkjet printer.

    Reply
    • autumn says

      November 18, 2019 at 7:39 am

      Hey Shannon, sorry it didn’t work for you. The ink from my inkjet printer doesn’t bleed during this project, but maybe different brands of ink work differently. If your ink bleeds, your best bet would be to take your watercolor paper to a copy shop and ask them to print on it with a laser printer, which will not bleed at all. I know that’s a hassle though, so it might not be worth it. You could try asking a friend to print it for you and see if it works better with someone else’s inkjet!

      Reply
  11. Glenda says

    January 7, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    Thank you! These lovely, uplifting quotes are a blessing! I’m going to let the teens that I do arts and crafts with (foster kids) make these. I think they will enjoy this simple yet impressive project.

    Reply
  12. Renee says

    January 12, 2020 at 7:29 am

    I’m doing this with Sunday school kids at synagogue today. I think they’re going to love it!

    I have a tip for anyone who wants to make their own quotes:
    I wanted the text to be in Hebrew, so I made my own using canva.com which is a great graphics making site that has plenty of its tools available for free. I made a graphic with custom dimensions and set it at 8.5 x 11 inches. Worked great!

    Reply
  13. Brianna says

    May 2, 2020 at 8:21 am

    Hello!

    Can you do this process on a stretched canvas?

    Reply
  14. olivia Miess says

    May 6, 2020 at 10:10 am

    wow that actually worked and is beautiful and I gave one to my grandma for mothers day!!!

    Reply
  15. Tif says

    September 18, 2020 at 5:02 am

    Hi I luv it I was wondering if I could use oil based markers

    Reply
    • autumn says

      September 18, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Hi! I don’t think it would work with oil based markers because the water needs to be able to disperse the ink. HTH.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 25 Summer Arts and Crafts Ideas For Kids - Tastefully Frugal says:
    May 24, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    […] Watercolor Prints – Ocean and Sea Life Crafts – Pool Noodle Painting – 4th of July Handprint Art […]

    Reply
  2. The Ultimate List of Latter-day Saint Mutual Activities says:
    May 31, 2019 at 10:00 am

    […] Plastic Bag Water Color Prints – Loved this idea! Very simple but fun. […]

    Reply
  3. 20 eenvoudige kunstprojecten voor kinderen die GEWELDIG blijken te zijn! – Do it Yourself says:
    August 12, 2019 at 7:08 am

    […] Wist u dat? kinderen kunnen prachtige aquarelachtergronden maken met Crayola-markers en een plastic zak? Dit kunstidee is SUPER eenvoudig en heel veel plezier. […]

    Reply
  4. DIY Watercolor Prints - Diydecor.Site says:
    August 13, 2019 at 1:07 am

    […] [Read more] […]

    Reply
  5. DIY Watercolor Prints - quisisanahotel.com says:
    September 22, 2019 at 2:29 pm

    […] Read more… by itsalwaysautumn […]

    Reply
  6. Easy, Inexpensive DIY Water Color Wall Decor - Happily Henner says:
    October 28, 2019 at 4:40 pm

    […] I then came across an awesome post that showed you how to DIY your own water color prints! While I love the signs I printed, I wanted to add a little something to them to really make them my own and this was just the thing. My water colors didn’t turn out quite as good as the ones complete in the DIY post, but for someone who has zero (seriously, ZERO) artists ability, I’m really happy with how mine turned out! DIY water color prints found here: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/cheater-watercolor-prints-using-markers-water.html […]

    Reply
  7. 20 Free Printable Short Gratitude Quotes to Inspire Thankfulness | Filling the Jars says:
    October 29, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    […] be afraid to try something a little different, like DIY watercolor. Grab some markers, print your quote on watercolor paper, and watch the video […]

    Reply
  8. 70 DIY Art Ideas Project For Kids says:
    March 11, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    […] source : https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/cheater-watercolor-prints-using-markers-water.html […]

    Reply
  9. 7 things to make with your kids this week. ⋆ Made With Lev says:
    March 22, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    […] can find the tutorial for the marker watercolors here: […]

    Reply
  10. Quarantine, Gluten-Free Cooking, and Keeping the Kids Happy. | Pots and Prayers says:
    March 30, 2020 at 11:07 am

    […] to scroll through good old Google to find crafts we could to in the house, and I came across marker watercolor painting. Easy, virtually no mess, and it’s super […]

    Reply
  11. DIY Watercolor Prints – Pinterest says:
    April 14, 2020 at 9:48 pm

    […] READ FULL INSTRUCTIONS […]

    Reply
  12. DIY Activities – SDSURF WIC Intranet says:
    April 15, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    […] Water color prints: Here you will work on creating prints using markers and water. […]

    Reply
  13. 40 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Kids Can Make – Tanish.org – Crypto, Tech, Finance & Business News says:
    May 7, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    […] Cheater Watercolor Prints. Print a quote Mom loves on plain white paper. Use regular kid-friendly markers to decorate the outside of a gallon-size zip-close bag, then spray it with water. Quickly flip it over and lay it on top of your printed page. Rub the bag so the colors will adhere to the paper. Get the full instructions on It’s Always Autumn. […]

    Reply
  14. 40 Geschenkideen zum Muttertag, die Kinder machen können - FINDEN BEST FINANCE says:
    May 7, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    […] Betrüger Aquarell Drucke. Drucken Sie ein Zitat, das Mama liebt, auf normales weißes Papier. Verwenden Sie regelmäßig kinderfreundliche Marker Um die Außenseite eines Beutels mit Reißverschluss in Gallonengröße zu dekorieren, sprühen Sie ihn dann mit Wasser ein. Drehen Sie es schnell um und legen Sie es auf Ihre gedruckte Seite. Reiben Sie den Beutel so, dass die Farben auf dem Papier haften. Holen Sie sich die vollständigen Anweisungen auf Es ist immer Herbst. […]

    Reply
  15. 40 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Kids Can Make – NttConsultants – Crypto, Tech, Finance & Business News says:
    May 7, 2020 at 4:55 pm

    […] Cheater Watercolor Prints. Print a quote Mom loves on plain white paper. Use regular kid-friendly markers to decorate the outside of a gallon-size zip-close bag, then spray it with water. Quickly flip it over and lay it on top of your printed page. Rub the bag so the colors will adhere to the paper. Get the full instructions on It’s Always Autumn. […]

    Reply
  16. 40 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Kids Can Make – DIY Arts & Crafts | Money says:
    May 11, 2020 at 11:45 am

    […] Cheater Watercolor Prints. Print a quote Mother loves on plain white paper. Use common kid-friendly markers to embellish the surface of a gallon-size zip-close bag, then spray it with water. Rapidly flip it over and lay it on high of your printed web page. Rub the bag so the colours will adhere to the paper. Get the total directions on It’s Always Autumn. […]

    Reply
  17. 40 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Kids Can Make – DIY Arts & Crafts – Bull Street News says:
    May 14, 2020 at 8:55 pm

    […] Cheater Watercolor Prints. Print a quote Mom loves on plain white paper. Use regular kid-friendly markers to decorate the outside of a gallon-size zip-close bag, then spray it with water. Quickly flip it over and lay it on top of your printed page. Rub the bag so the colors will adhere to the paper. Get the full instructions on It’s Always Autumn. […]

    Reply
  18. First National Blog says:
    June 15, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    […] An art project need not be expensive. Many homes have the ever-popular Crayola markers tucked away in pencil cases for a rainy day. What you might not realise about these pointed, stubby markers is that with a little water, your children can create dramatic watercolour effects with them. Achieving this is easy, simply draw out on an area, then use a brush or even a zip lock bag of water to moisten the area and make the colours run. More tips on this one can be found by clicking here. […]

    Reply
  19. FOUR Pretty, Fun, & EASY Art Projects To Do Yourself (or with the kiddos)! – the jill street journal says:
    August 2, 2020 at 2:23 am

    […] https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/cheater-watercolor-prints-using-markers-water.html […]

    Reply
  20. craft: DIY holiday gifts for everyone Part I – Inspired Honey Bee says:
    October 13, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    […] are some easy gift ideas: set of cards, prints, bookmarks, […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hey, glad you’re here!

I'm Autumn, a mom of five who loves ice cream, Masterpiece Theatre, and clothes that hide the fact that I eat so much ice cream. When I was 18 I got a job at a craft store and told everyone (regularly) how much I hated crafts. Well, things change! Read More…

Find me here

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

free email series

NO FAIL CRAFTS + RECIPES

Get my favorite craft + recipe ideas straight to your inbox!

Popular Posts

101 fun activities that kids can do at home list on a colorful striped background

101 Fun + Easy Activities kids can do AT HOME

50 easy crafts and activities kids can do indoors! Perfect for cold or rainy days.

50 best indoor activities for kids: easy crafts + games

Gorgeous art projects for kids! Easy art that turns out amazing.

20 easy art projects for kids that turn out AMAZING!

Collage of different paper flowers tutorials

How to make GORGEOUS paper flowers

Various flavors of baked mini donuts made from cake mixes

How to make mini donuts! {baked cake mix donuts recipe}

Blog policy

All posts and pictures are copyrighted by Autumn Baldwin and blog content may not be reposted elsewhere. However, linking back to my content is just fine. You may use one photo as long as you link directly back to the specific post. Thank you!

Please view our Privacy Policy here.

Also, please note that this blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316192.168.1.1 router login

Copyright © 2021 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

free email series

NO-FAIL CRAFTS + RECIPES

Get my favorite EASY craft + recipe ideas straight to your inbox!

x