You know those amazing photos you took with your phone while on vacation? I'm going to show you how to turn special memories into watercolor prints and it's so easy...and fun. This is a terrific idea for inexpensive wall art and it looks just like a real watercolor painting. I'm also going to show you how to turn that watercolor print into a Sands Of Time vacation shadow box.

How To Turn A Photo Into A Watercolor Canvas

Are you like me and collect sand and other treasures from your beach vacations? If so, we'll be adding those to the watercolor canvas shadow box too. Today is our Int'l Bloggers Club challenge and this month the theme is Sands Of Time. The perfect motivation to finally do something with the beach sand I collected and my favorite photo from that vacation too.


If you haven't heard of our Int'l Bloggers Club, we are a group of blogging friends from around the globe who come together on the third Monday of every month to share a themed DIY project. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the USA, and Canada.

I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, a 4-5 hour jaunt from the Canadian Rockies. In fact, I'm sharing a photo taken through the window of a rustic cabin we stayed in during a recent trip to Jasper National Park.


...and how I turned that photo into this watercolor print that I'll be framing to hang on our wall soon.


But before I get into the nitty-gritty of this fun watercolor technique and upcycled shadow box tutorial, I'd like to give a warm welcome to our newest member of the Int'l Bloggers Club. We're thrilled to have the talented Sara of Birdz Of A Feather join us. I'm even more excited that she's a fellow Canuck representing Eastern Canada from the Province of Ontario.

You'll find Sara's Sands Of Time project along with the others at the bottom of the post. I missed last month's Rock 'N Roll challenge but for our toilet paper roll challenge in June, I made these Firecracker Fire Starters.

How To Turn Cell Phone Photos Into Watercolor Prints

Here's another example of how I turned a vacation photo into a watercolor canvas. This photo was taken on the shores of beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. We love this city so much that we named our daughter after it!


When we were vacationing there the city had installed outdoor pianos in specific locations that were painted by local artists. It was part of their ParksAlive program and the pianos were there for the public to play during the summer months.

Shortly after taking this photo, a gentleman walking his dog stopped and blessed us with a free classical music concert for two. We were the only people on the beach below and I don't think he even knew we were there.

Here's that same photo run through the watercolor app and now Mr. Frugalista and I can enjoy that memory for many years to come with a framed art canvas.


So what's the app, you ask? It's called Waterlogue (not an affiliate link) and you can find it in the Apple Store. It's so easy to use from an iPhone or iPad and here's how it works.


After you download the app all you do is upload a photo from your iPhone or iPad and choose which pre-set style you'd like. Here are some screenshots of one of my vacation photos in three different pre-set styles.

How To Turn Beach Vacation Photos Into A Watercolor Shadow Box

Here's the original photo I used for the vacation shadow box.


This was taken from my absolute favorite place in Mexico to relax and enjoy some sun during the bitterly cold Canadian winters. A little birdie came to visit us one morning while sipping our morning coffee by our favorite infinity pool on the resort.

Printing The Watercolor Photo

Once I determined the watercolor style I liked I saved it into photos on my phone. Then from my iMac, I printed the photo with a color laser printer onto watercolor paper. But first, I trimmed it to 8"x10" to both fit in the paper tray and my shadow frame.


With double-sided tape, I attached the watercolor canvas to the back of the shadow box frame.

Upcycling A Shadow Box

I've had this shadow box for a few years that I picked up at Goodwill for a whopping $2. It has a mate that I plan on framing my Jasper watercolor print much the same way.


With paint that I had on hand, I gave the outside of the frame a beachy vibe with layers of coastal colors. I started with the color The Gulf, followed by the color Peacock, and then the color Coastal Blue.

For the next two colors, I used the dry brush technique. All you do is offload the paint onto a paper towel until very little is left on the brush. With light pressure swipe across the piece with long brush strokes.

I wanted to pull the green color from my little birdie friend's feathers so I dry brushed just a skiff of the color Lily Pad. The very last layer of color is Fluff, and I brushed it on a little heavier. The inside of the shadow box is also painted with the color Fluff.

Once the paint was completely dry I protected it with clear wax applied with a lint-free rag.


You can see in the photos that I didn't bother masking the glass with painter's tape because it's so easy to remove the paint from the glass with a wet cloth.

Labeling The Vacation Shadow Box

Next, I made a label for the vacation shadow box In Cricut Design Space for the glass and cut it with white permanent vinyl.

Assembling The Watercolor Print Shadow Box

Before attaching the hardboard back with the watercolor print back into the frame, I sprinkled a layer of beach sand that I collected on this vacation onto the bottom of the frame. Then I stuck some beach glass and small seashells into the sand that I also collected during our holiday.

Voila, lasting memories from our wonderful vacation at the Dreams Resort in Huatulco, Mexico. See, I told you it was easy!


If you have any questions about this upcycled shadow box idea, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top. I love hearing from you!



I hope you enjoyed this watercolor technique and that it inspires you to turn your favorite photos into watercolor wall art. I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your DIY Wall Art or DIY Summer Ideas board on Pinterest.


Before we go, I turned a photo from my rose garden into a FREE watercolor printable that you're welcome to download and print. Just click your mouse on the photo for an unwatermarked copy. That's a little bee with its bee butt sticking out of the bottom left rose.


Now let's go see what my talented friend's made for our Sands Of Time challenge by clicking the links below.

1. Unique Creations By Anita - How To Upcycle A Sand Timer
2. Interior Frugalista (that's me) - How To Turn Special Memories Into Watercolor Prints
3. Birdz Of A Feather - How To Make Sand Candles
4. A Crafty Mix - How To Make A Sands Of Time Hourglass 

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.