Snowy Penguin Family Door Hanger

I recently posted some of my favorite winter door hangers that I’ve painted. If you are in the mood to DIY something new, but feeling uninspired, make sure you check them out! They’re perfect for this time of year, when it’s after the Christmas holidays but before the bright spring decor goes up.  Well, here’s another great choice! This adorable snowy penguin family is a painted door hanger that would look great all winter long!

This is a new template that we recently released, so a few weeks ago I decided to paint it live on Facebook. And now I want to show you exactly how I did it and what supplies you’ll need. You can easily paint this door hanger, too! 

Supply List

1. Flat Tip Paint Brush Set
2. Filbert Tip Paint Brush Set
3. Assorted Paint Brush Set
4. Small Polka Dot Sponge Brush
5. POSCA Black Paint Pen
6.  Snowy Penguin Family Door Hanger Blank
7. -OR- Snowy Penguin Family Printable Template and Digital Cut File

And DecoArt Matte Acrylic Americana Paints:

1. Black
2. True Blue
3. Zinc Gray
4. Wild Berry Pink
5. Canyon Orange
6. Bahama Blue
7. True Red
8. White

Note: Affiliate links included within this post for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

DIY Your Own Penguin Door Hanger

Gather up your supplies, watch the steps, and you’ll be ready to paint this winter door hanger, too!

To get started, head over to my online shop. There you can choose either the ready-to-paint MDF blank, or the printable template and digital cut file so that you can cut your own door hanger at home. (Not sure what the difference is? I explained it in this recent post!)

Like many of my door hanger blanks, there’s an option to purchase it etched. An etched blank door hanger has all of the lines you need etched right onto the blank. It’s as easy as those paint-by-number projects you did as a kid! It even shows up through the paint so you don’t have to worry about staying in the lines. Just go back and fill in the details in the right spots!

Adding All the Details:

I started my penguins by painting their faces and bellies white. Then I filled in the black around the bodies of the Mama and Daddy. For this part I used a 1″ wide, flat tip brush.

Next I painted the little guy in dark gray. I wanted him to stand out! I don’t usually use a lot of black all at once on my door hangers except for outlines and accents. The gray would keep the black from taking over!

And like I say, don’t worry about perfection. You can always go back later and smooth out lines or use your outline color to make everything look neat.

TIP: If your painted area doesn’t look smooth enough, try using a larger brush! And use nice long strokes. If your brush is too small, or you use itty bitty strokes, it will make all of your brush strokes look globby and obvious.

Next I added brighter colors for the details. I used Wild Berry pink for the Mama’s ear muffs, and Bahama Blue for the top and bottom of the Daddy’s hat. Then I mixed my own color by muting the bright True Blue color with a little of the Zinc gray, and lightening it up with a bit of white. Don’t be afraid to play with your colors and make your own custom blends!

TIP: My technique is to “pull” the paint around the door hanger. If you don’t have enough paint to easily pull it through, you’re not using enough paint!

Next was the little guy’s hat. First I painted the hat with bright True Red. Then I used a tiny touch of black in the True Red color to create a darker red for polka dot accents with my sponge stamper. Now he stands out!

For more little details, I added Canyon Orange paint for the beaks and feet. Then I added a little white to the pink color on the ear muffs, and painted some little hearts. I used a tiny little Filbert tip brush for those.

Finishing Touches Make All the Difference!

This is the point where all of the big things are in place. All of the main colors, plus some fun little details and patterns. And a lot of people might stop painting at this point. But wait – take a few minutes to add some more little details and it will make all the difference! 

For example, if you’re feeling confident, you could add some blue shadow tones to the snow like I did. So I just streaked some white dipped in Bahama Blue around all the corners and under the penguins for a shaded look. It ties in with the Daddy’s hat and adds a little more dimension. I also added some darker blue line details to the scarf and hat.

Next, try adding some outlines and highlights! It really makes the biggest difference in your finished piece. You can see where I added white highlights here and there. 

Finally, I used a black paint pen to draw their little faces, and to outline all of the areas. I like using a paint pen because I know that I can do it a little faster and have more control for details like the faces. And the outlines with the paint pen clean it up and pull it all together.

The Finished Snowy Penguin Family Door Hanger:

Doesn’t this little family bring a smile to your face? It’s exactly what your front porch decor needs on a snowy winter day!

Check Out the Video Tutorial

If you already follow me on facebook, I hope you caught my video when I painted it live. If not, make sure you watch it now and you can see exactly how I painted my penguin family!

Make sure you post your finished winter door hangers on my facebook page or in my free facebook group for painters! One of my favorite things is hanging out on facebook with all of you and getting ideas and inspiration from everyone. And don’t forget – I go live on my facebook page every Tuesday and Friday and would love to chat live with you!

By the way – you can always find the painting supplies that you need in my online shop or Amazon door hanger supply storefront, and grab the penguin door hanger blanks or printable templates and digital cut files from my online store:

Find It In My Shop:

Etched Blank
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Join Us for our LIVE Event!

Did you know that we are making plans to paint together in person this spring?! Because I hope that you can join us in Nashville for our annual Southern Adoornments Decor – LIVE event! 

It will be three amazing days of time for us to craft, learn, laugh, eat, and create together! Whether you’re a brand new beginner to painted door hangers, or are already running your own DIY door hanger business, we will have the inspiration and information you need!

Get ready to relax, recharge, and reconnect – and have a lot of fun doing it all in Music City! Plus you’ll learn from some amazing guest painters, win prizes, and bring home some awesome swag bags of free goodies. Get all the details you need right here. Just make sure you sign up soon so we can save you a spot – tickets are selling quickly!

Get the Help and Inspiration You Need!

Make sure you follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to get even more ideas, video tutorials, links to my favorite products, and lots of other fun stuff!

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