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sun drawing on painted bee hive

How to Create Painted Beehive Designs

Charlotte Anderson @ Carolina Honeybees, LLC
Step by step directions for creating unique hand painted designs to decorate your beehives.
5 from 3 votes
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Tools

  • pencils
  • Paint Brushes Asst
  • Deep Hive Box

Supplies
 

Instructions
 

  • Select a bee box that you wish to paint.
    It should have a clean surface – I find sanding and painting it white is best. But you can use any base color.
    Sanding, painted white bee box image.
  • If you are not great at free-hand drawing – that’s okay.
    Look online for a simple design. Coloring sheets are great. Something you will be able to trace easily.
    Print your design on white paper in grayscale.
    Printed simple design outlines of sun and rainbow image.
  • In the "old days" I used carbon paper for sheet to sheet tracing but its hard to find today. No worries.
    Using a soft lead pencil (of any size comfortable), color the back side of your printed sheets - heavily. Be sure to get a good coat of pencil mark on the portions with the design.
    Back of a beehive design sheet coated with pencil lead image.
  • Flip the sheet over and decide where you want the design to be painted on the box.
    Use tape to gently adhere the paper to the bee hive box.
    The pencil lead side goes down of course.
    Sun hive design print taped on box front image.
  • Use a pencil to trace the outline of the design. Go slow.
    The lines may not be crisp and perfect because we are writing on wood that is not perfect. Just trace the outline of the image.
    Using pencil to trace edge of bee hive painting stencil image.
  • Remove the print and you should see a tracing of your design on the hive. Retrace any parts that may be too light to see well.
    Pencil design traced on bee hive box before painting image.
  • Now for the fun part. It's time to add some color.
    Chose the acrylic color you want and use a small craft brush to paint inside the lines of your drawing. You may need more than 1 coat of paint.
    Color painted inside the design on beehive image.
  • Beehive wood is rough-sometimes very rough. You can sand and fill in rough spots prior to starting but it is not necessary.
    However, you may have to fill in the pencil design around handles etc.
    When you start to paint, begin on the outside of the design and work in towards the middle. Let paint dry well between steps.
    Painting rainbow design on bee hive box image.
  • When the paint is dry, use a black paint marker to outline each section (if desired).
    Don’t stress if the design doesn’t look perfect. It will be fine in the bee yard.
    Sun design painted on bee hive box image.
  • Dry and seal. Let the hive dry for 30 minutes to a hour.
    Then if you wish, spray a light coat of spray sealer (optional) on the front design part only.
    Finished beehive painted image.
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