Find Your Inner Artist: DIY Pet Keepsakes

DIY pet keepsakes are an activity that you can enjoy indoors or out that keep you cool and entertained. Our pets are already one of our favorite photography subjects (we would bet most of the photos on your phone are of your furry friends), but with these ideas, they can enhance our home decor as well. Here are some of our top ideas for DIY pet keepsakes that you can make yourself in the comfort of your own home:

Cork Board Wall Art Pet Keepsakes

While this project from HGTV specifically mentions bulldogs, you can easily use it to create wall art centered around another dog breed or a cat. Create a cork board that pays homage to your pet with just a few supplies, like:

• Transparent sheet
• Pumpkin stencil
• Push pins
• Projector
• Cork boards 
• Writing utensils
• Crafting knife
• Nails 
• Paint
• Paint brush

Basically, you just have to project the image of the stencil onto the wall, hang up some cork board, use the crafting knife to cut the proper shape, and use paint to fill in the rest of the features. Now your favorite furry friend can keep track of all your important paperwork or upcoming to-dos. 

Monogrammed String Art DIY Pet Keepsakes

This is not the same string art you saw lining your grandma’s house; monogrammed string art is an old-school design trend with a modern twist that helps you honor your furry friend. This project would also make a great gift for a pet lover in your life.

All you need to get started is:

• A wood plaque (in the size you’d like to hang)
• Acrylic craft paint
• A foam paint brush
• Scissors
• Nails
• Hammer
• Tweezers
• Heavy thread or string
• A printed picture of your pet

Simply add a base coat of paint to the wood (in the color of your choosing) and wait for it to dry. Hammer the image to the wood and remove the paper to have a blueprint for your string art project. 

Gold Leafing Pet Keepsakes

If you think of your pet as a prince or a princess, gold leafing is the perfect art project with which to honor his or her royal highness. Get some leafing sheets and use a detail paintbrush to apply it to your favorite photo of your pup or kitten. You can use the brush to fill in any spots that might have cracked during the application. Find a frame that complements this new style and choose a spot in your home where it will get plenty of viewing time.

Paw Painting or Paw Print Pet Keepsakes

A fun and easy project is to do paw painting with your pet. Dip their paw into various colors of non-toxic paint and then onto paper. Create a design of your hand with your pet’s paw, a bunch of flowers where your pet’s paw is the flower, or an abstract colorful design for fun. 

You can also create DIY pet keepsakes of your pet’s paw in clay. Once the clay is ready, press your pet’s paw into the clay. Add a hole if you want to hang it like an ornament. Once the clay dries, you can paint designs, colors and dates on the clay, and add ribbon. Here’s a link to one of the many paw print kits on the market.

While you focus on honoring your pet at home, Oakland Veterinary Referral Services will continue to do our best to give your pets the best specialty care in the Bloomfield Hills area. From cardiology to oncology, our dedicated team is here to keep your pets as healthy as possible. To learn more about our wide range of services, please call (248) 334-6877.