Easy Button Tree Painting: A Beginner Mixed-Media Canvas Tutorial

Make an Easy Button Tree Mixed-Media Canvas

Some of my favorite creative projects combine painting with something unexpected. This Button Tree is one of my original beginner-friendly designs from 2013, and the cheerful little “leaves” are actually real buttons glued to the canvas.

The painted portion stays wonderfully simple: a swirled purple background, a softly glowing moon, a black tree silhouette, and one tiny bird perched on a branch. Once the painting dries, you get to play with color and arrangement as you add the buttons.

It is part painting, part collage, and completely customizable.

Want the full tutorial with video instructions, the printable tracer, and complete supply list? You can find the Button Tree Painting Tutorial in my shop.

Why This Project Is Beginner-Friendly

The background is created with loose circular strokes, so there is no perfect blending required. The tree is one bold black silhouette, and the bird needs only a few simple shapes.

The real buttons do much of the decorative work. Choose colors that make you happy, use a mixture of sizes, and arrange them until the canvas feels balanced.

No two Button Trees will ever look exactly alike—and that is part of the fun.

Paint the Background First

Cover the canvas with medium purple acrylic paint using broad circular strokes. While it is still wet, blend in a little white and lavender. In the upper-left portion, create a pale moon and soften its edges into the purple sky.

Let the background dry completely before adding the tree.

Add the Tree and Bird

Use the included tracer or sketch the tree freehand. The thick trunk begins in the lower-right corner and curves toward the center before dividing into sweeping branches.

Fill the entire tree with black acrylic paint. Add a small black bird silhouette to the left-center branch, facing the moon. You do not need tiny details—the recognizable shape is enough.

Tip: print the tracer to fit your 12×16-inch canvas (a local copy shop can enlarge it, or use the Poster or Tile setting on a home printer), tape it along the top of your dry canvas so it opens like a flap, slide white transfer paper underneath, and trace the moon, tree trunk, branches, and bird. The open circles are optional button-placement suggestions, so you do not need to transfer every one.

Arrange Before You Glue

Once the painting is completely dry, lay the canvas flat and arrange the buttons without glue. Place the larger buttons first, then fill in with smaller ones. Mix pink, yellow, orange, green, lavender, and turquoise across the branches.

Take a quick photo when you like the arrangement. That way, you have a guide if the buttons shift while you are gluing.

Choose Your Adhesive

A low-temperature mini hot-glue gun gives the quickest hold, but adults should operate it or closely supervise older children. Use only a small dot of glue on the back of each button.

For a no-heat option, use a quick-grab clear-drying craft adhesive labeled for both canvas or fabric and plastic. Keep the artwork flat until the glue has cured completely.

See the Six Stages

Here is the whole project broken down visually, from the very first swirl of purple paint to the finished, buttoned-up tree:

Download the tracer above and save the step-by-step visual before you begin. When your Button Tree is finished, share a photo and tag Create with Sarah so I can see the colors and buttons you chose. And if you would like the complete video walkthrough and printable stencil, you can grab the full Button Tree Painting Tutorial here.