If you are a Sharpie fan, you will love this. I’m not only going to delight you with all sorts of Sharpie ideas for kids (and for you), I’ve rounded up some unbelievably creative things people have made with Sharpies.
Then we’ll round everything out by letting you know how to remove Sharpie stains from skin and fabric. You’ll need to know this at some point.
Sharpies are one of my favorite art-making tools and have been for decades.
I think since they’re so ubiquitous, most kids will naturally pick up a Sharpie Art at some point in their early childhood and marvel at the departure from their good old washable Crayolas.
Easy Sharpie Ideas
Sharpie art and craft ideas are everywhere. Since the markers are permanent, they’ll stay put on a myriad of surfaces, and people have tried them on probably every surface known to man.
Let’s start off with some easy Sharpie ideas and move onto the more complicated projects.
It doesn’t get much easier than laying down a doily and Sharpie-ing over it. The results are lovely.
Simple as can be, but delightfully adaptable, this easy drawing project only requires markers and paper. You’ll love making these right alongside your kids.
Yes, I am advocating drawing all overshoes. My daughter made these when she was maybe 9, and we couldn’t pry them off her feet. Find white Vans or Chucks here.
As if you needed an excuse to buy metallic Sharpies, they look fantastic on fall leaves.
It becomes a bit obsessive when you start to gather leaves to draw on, so remember a bag when you venture out on your nature walk.
I couldn’t add the leaf-drawing idea without also including Sharpie rock drawing. Use regular Sharpie markers for this only on light rocks or those you’ve primed.
Make your way over to all these amazing rock art ideas after basking in Sharpie’s ideas.
Otherwise, use Sharpie paint markers, or the metallic Sharpies on dark rocks. Find rocks here.
You’ve seen all the Sharpie mugs out there, right? Make some.
Here are some pretty gold marker mugs, but follow these directions when making Sharpie mugs:
- Wash your mug well with soap and water
- Use Sharpie oil-based paint markers
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes
- Let it cool completely before washing. (Actually, let it cool before taking out of the oven, so the mitt doesn’t smear the ink on the handle.)
Kathy Barbro from Art Projects for Kids came up with this awesome project using tin cans and Sharpies.
Despite looking gorgeous, these Sharpie tie-dye tiles are basically the easiest things ever to make.
From Alisa Burke- blown out, doodled Easter eggs. So cool.
Beautiful, vibrant Sharpie art on photo paper – find the details on Happy Hooligans.
Such a good idea! And you don’t have to just use these for Christmas; check out this Sharpie silhouette project.
Similar to the mugs above, but this time on glasses. Don’t these look really pretty?
Sharpie Art – The Next Level
When you or your kids are feeling a bit more adventurous, move onto the next level of Sharpie art.
These are basically still just using markers, the challenge comes in practicing your techniques or tackling a much larger scale project.
Oh do I love a doodled journal cover with a lot of cool objects on it. Isn’t this beautiful work by Mary Scarlett?
Yes, we do all need to recreate this Sharpie wall design. I love this whole area she’s created. Yum.
Um, this bag. Art by Korn.elia on Instagram
Make some Chihuly-inspired art with Sharpies and plastic cups.
Who knew a big piece of wax paper could be transformed so beautifully with markers?
This is a wonderful use of Sharpies and a fun-looking kid art project.
Labyrinths are fun to draw, and you can make them super colorful with a bunch of Sharpies.
Make amazing little eye-popping drawings in your sketchbook, like Cara Wrrr.
How about practicing your lettering using Sharpies and tweaking it on the iPad? Beautiful work by Alyssa Wigant.
I make most of my tangle art projects using Sharpies because I love to draw with them. Try this out if you like to doodle.
Pointillism is fun and relaxing, and Ultra Fine point Sharpies are perfect for making all these thousands of dots.
Wow. Do up a skateboard deck with Sharpies like Anthony Simm Skate.
Professional Artists Using Sharpies
Let’s check out how far some artists have pushed their craft using Sharpie markers. Many of these people are doing mind-blowing things with permanent markers.
George Ramos spent 2 weeks drawing on this Lamborghini. I think a great idea would be to encourage your kids to do the same in your car. Yes, definitely.
This work by Charlotte Mann is unbelievable. While she just lists her medium as a black marker pen, you can easily imagine this being Sharpie.
No doubt you’ve seen his work, and he seems to be drawing mostly comics now, but I have to include the hand-drawn cups of Cheeming Boey here. They’re classic Sharpie amazingness.
Timothy Goodman makes the biggest, baddest Sharpie murals and has written this amazing book that I just leaf through every once in a while for major inspiration.
How to Remove Sharpie Art
Let’s just assume that like me, one day you found a beautiful bunch of Sharpie drawings on your bathroom heating vent and wondered just how you would remove them.
Or you woke up after a kegger with an unsavory message scrawled across your face. Either way, here’s how to remove Sharpie stains:
From Skin:
Sharpie comes off of skin with alcohol, but don’t douse your kid with whiskey just yet.
First try hand sanitizer, (it contains ethanol), and if that doesn’t work, try rubbing alcohol. I’ve heard that acetone nail polish remover works as well.
From Fabric:
Sharpie FAQs include mention of trying this product to remove Sharpie stains from fabric, and it gets great reviews. I’ve used this stuff to get lots of horrible stains out, but have to admit I haven’t tried Sharpie yet.
From Other Surfaces:
Plastic:
try coloring over the Sharpie with a dry erase marker and wipe it away. Or try rubbing alcohol if this doesn’t work.
Glass: rubbing alcohol works wonders to remove Sharpie from a glass.
Wood: Try baking soda toothpaste, rubbed in gently with a paper towel or cotton ball. I would not use alcohol or hairspray, as this can ruin the finish of your table.
Feed Your Love of Sharpie Art
Here are all the Sharpie marker and pen collections as of now. Also, I love them all.
Classic Sharpies
Specialty
Art Markers
Pro
Extras
More of Our Awesome Sharpie Art Drawings Ideas and Projects
- Sharpie skateboard post
- Simple mandala project
- Double Cursive Tangle Drawing
- Mixed Media Drawing Project for Kids
- More Zentangle
- Thumbprint Self Portrait Drawing
Also, feast your eyes on all these amazing drawing ideas for kids.
Comments
0 comments
I can’t believe I’m about to type this but, I really like the doily stencil.
Yes! Doilies don’t have to be annoying, they can be used for good.
I really have to get a pack of the colorful ones! Some great ideas here! Love the collage! My kids like putting faces on balloons with Sharies.
Oh, my…. I just discovered that we need to re-stock our Sharpie supply. They’ve been well-used. What is it about balloons and Sharpies? Whenever we have balloons in the house they get decorated immediately.
I’m a sharpie fan too and am always excited to see new ideas for them!
Yeah, I have a special love for Sharpies, too!
OMG so cool! That car!! With just Sharpie?!!!
Just. Sharpie. Can you imagine doing that? I think realistically I’d have the patience to do 1/16th of the car and then I would just scribble wildly over the rest of it. Especially a Lamborghini.
I can see my daughter loving the doily stencil on her jeans or plain shirts. And totally want to try both the shirt dyeing and the tangle doodle. It’s very similar to doodles I used to do as a kid/teen, but I LOVE the idea of doing it on watercolor and washing paint over it. I might try wax paper to make a window hanging!
Shirt doily art is a great idea! I bet you could use a bleach pen with a doily on a dark shirt- that would look awesome.
My son is still too little to use sharpies…I am sure I would end up with one-of-a-kind sharpie decorated sofas.
But I love em’. My husband, being so wonderful, recently came home with a big, colorful, package of sharpies for me out of the blue. This is his equivalent to a bouquet of flowers and so much better. He knows me so well!
I am thinking I need to put them to use on that tie-die project!
I’m off to my local CNA to see if we have Sharpies here in South Africa! Logo looks familiar.
I hope you found some!
Gret ideas! I nearly bought my daughter a pair of Keds this weekend and contemplated letting her decorate them. I think I may have to go back and get them now!
Jeanette I love this list. I am pinning this project this and hope it sends you lots of traffic! Can I make a suggestion? Make a the initial graphic say, “Sharpie projects to do with kids”? Then you will really attract the moms. Love your blog. New Twitter follower. Enjoy all your comment love.
Thanks for that awesome suggestion! I hit the mark sometimes with pinnable images, but this is a great idea. (And thanks for the pin!)
Love them! I just got a new costco pack of sharpies for my birthday and I can’t wait to create. Happy SITS Day!
Ooooh new Sharpies are the BEST.
This is so beautiful it almost hurts. I am wrapped up and inspired but stuck with a house full of lesser quality markers!!! Somehow it doesn’t seem possible for fuzzy tipped, previously-dipped-in-applesauce, crayola markers to create artwork this lovely. Also, tweens would be much more into Sharpie than crayola. Craft supply store added to the to do list today!
I confess I had no idea Sharpies were so versatile! This post makes me want to do Sharpie art! Great ideas!
Great idea for sharpies! My 11 year old is always wanting me to get them for her but honestly she leaves the lids off and then they are no good! But these are great ideas and she’s always trying to do something arts these days!
Found you over at SITS Girls! Glad I found them and you!
Kim
{Sweetsie’s}
I find markers caps all over my house, always. It makes me crazy, but you have to just think about how creative they’re being, right?
Oh I love Sharpies! I have sets of markers all over the place. I especially love the top – never thought of that, and that car! I am pretty sure I would not decorate my car that way, but it is still very cool! Thanks for the inspiration and Happy SITS Day!
So clever! I see some Christmas gifts in the making! Thanks for a great post!
I too love sharpies. The sharpie paper towel owls are adorable. Thanks for the post especially the variety of ideas. Enjoy your SITS Day.
We love Sharpies around here, but I’ve never seen so many great ideas. Love the doily stencil.
My kids love love love LOVE the sharpies…almost as much as my husband does:) Dozens of ways to use them..and most of these are new to me! Love the shoes! My 5 year old loves to draw on herself, so that just seems like a natural progression:) have a great one!
My 3 year old is constantly covered in lovely paint and marker adornments- it’s just so compelling to draw on your skin.
Love these ideas. And I have lots of sharpies hanging around the house!
Happy SITS Day!
I am a mild sharpie-holic. I must own two dozen in various sizes and colours… Although my little lady is a bit too young to use them, I think Mama might have found some crafty ideas here 😉
Glad to be of help- you can really never have too many Sharpies. Ever.
Clever! Love these. Who knew a Sharpie could be used for good. 🙂
these are awesome! the eggs are a great alternative to traditional dyed easter eggs, and the shoes are super cool and unique. I am scared of letting kids have sharpies though…isn’t your house covered in un-fixable marks?? hehe 🙂
happy SITS day!
My house is definitely covered in marks and splotches. I remember when my sis and I were kids, my mom gave up and let us have the dining room to completely color all over the walls. When we were older she finally painted over it all and turned it back into a proper dining room. Great memories.
I have to remind my kids to use something under their “sharpie” projects or I wind up with sharpie soaked into my wood table.
I really like the shoes! I won’t dare show my daughter this pics, she’d be a bit too inspired and may get herself in trouble drawing a picture on the wall just for Mommy. Uh…no! Happy SITS day SITStah.
I love Sharpie’s. I’m not sure I would use them on my car though. Happy SITS Day!
What a great post!! I so love sharpies, I just have to wait until my daughter gets old enough to be able to use them.
Thanks for sharing! Hope you are having a wonderful SITS day!
Mary
Cool! I never even thought of doing art with Sharpies!
{Kathy} Sharpies are my friend. I have done everything from decorate Halloween costumes to fix furniture scratches. These ideas are fun, too!
What amazingly cool ideas!! I never would have thought you could do all of those things with a Sharpie!! I have to go out and buy more right now!!! Over from Sits, btw!
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!
I am planning to do mugs and coasters for Christmas!
We’re going to do some mugs for Grampa, too. He’ll love ’em.
I love Sharpies! I actually asked for Sharpies for Christmas one year – I like to write with the extra fine ones. 🙂 Happy SITS day.
It is amazing what you can do with only marker. I wish I could draw
Such great ideas!! I love the 80s Glam pack. I have to admit that I’m a little scare of letting my kids loose with the Sharpies. Maybe when they are a little older?
Yes, it is a scary prospect. I only let my 3 yo use Sharpies when he’s seated at a table and I’m staring him down the entire time.
I teach art and I too love sharpies! Recently,I purchased the oil base sharpie paint pens for my students. The students used them on old vinyl records.I melted their records ( in the oven) into bowls. The sharpie withstands the heat. The how to create a record bowl can is demonstrated on you tube. Young children could easily create their own artwork. Melting the records into bowls is easy but should be done by an adult.
Oh, wow! That sounds like such a great project. We’ll definitely have to try it, and it’ll be a good excuse to go comb through a thrift store for records. I can explain to my daughter just what records are. (Antiques!)