This small party was a lot of fun this weekend. For the record, I threw my daughter’s fifth birthday celebration.
This was a low-maintenance, enjoyable, and uncomplicated birthday. Is there such a thing as a low-maintenance birthday party, or is it a contradiction in terms? Unless you’re a sensible person (like most regular people) and have the party at your local Chuck E. Cheese’s, that is.
But, every now and again, it’s fun to try something new. This was a bit sweet, a little special, and it provided me with a much-needed burst of color and pleasure in what I like to call the winter doldrums.
This was a bit sweet, a little special, and it provided me with a much-needed burst of color and pleasure during what I like to call the winter doldrums. After all, I’m only allowed to be incredibly cheesy while they’re little, right?
First and foremost, I created a ‘ 5’ giant number.
The use of actual watercolor paper is crucial in creating this piece. I originally attempted this with some craft paper that I had purchased with the intention of making a watercolor runner, but it turned into a wet, wrinkling mess.
As a former art major, I suppose you could slap a large DUH on my brow. I was attempting to save some money and wasn’t sure how well it would work out.
So I propose purchasing a sheet of large watercolor paper from your local craft store. The week before, this sheet was on sale for 9.95 (with a coupon).
Keep in mind that you may always save money on painting supplies if you plan beforehand. Take my not-so-wise comments with a huge grain of salt, because this may apply to anything. It was a hot pressed paper for me. The paper is smoother as a result, and the paint dries faster.

I also purchased a watercolor kit from the craft store, which included a wide range of colors in addition to the traditional primary colors. (As seen in the top photo) If you buy watercolors in individual tubes, they can add up quickly… just something to keep in mind.
I began by lightly sketching a five on the paper with a pencil. If you’re not comfortable freehanding, you could easily trace or use a projector. I recommend using a 5 as a reference, and you can remove it if you draw softly). I just painted around it from there, adjusting my texture and layers as I went.
A few short points about watercolors and watercolor paper.
If you’re new to this medium, start with a little piece of paper (like a watercolor pad) and work your way up. Watercolors are forgiving to a degree, but only after they’ve been thinned out with water. This isn’t the same as working with acrylic paint, for example. I’m aware. There’s no need to stress.
The colors are simple to confuse and do so rapidly. Keep colors from the same groupings together for this look, then gradually blend them together. Purples and blues, reds and yellows. But, if you think about it, even inside those colors are additional hues.
You can see a hint of pink… or blue… within the right shade of purple, so if you plan to join them, leave room for bleeding them together. Consider the following formula: yellow + red = orange (so sprinkle some pink in there as well). Play with the same colors in different spots to bring them together.
