DIY Coffee Bean Art – The Perfect Gift for Any Coffee Lover
Updated on June 29, 2021
Creating an art piece with coffee beans is something you can do fairly easily. Whether this is going to be a gift for someone else or something you want to put on your own walls, it’s up to you to decide, but we know it’s going to be something you want to try out.
It’s also going to be pretty easy to create, as you generally need things that you already have around your home, particularly if you’re into crafting.
Materials for coffee beans art
- canvas
- coffee beans
- gold acrylic paint
- light brown acrylic paint
- anise
- lace ribbon
- scissors
- paintbrush
- glue gun
How to make coffee beans art
Before we even get started, we want to make sure that we have all the materials on hand. This will help you be more productive as you don’t have to run around trying to find something or another. So, do you have everything ready? Let’s get started, then.
Step 1: Paint the canvas
The first thing we need to do is to prepare our canvas. Sure, the white looks nice, but do we really want it to be so bland? Let’s add some color over it. Pick the light brown acrylic paint and your paintbrushand start covering thecanvas.We went with one of the smallest canvases we could find, but you can obviously choose a different size and shape.
The canvas is already primed and ready for color, so start adding in the paint. Try to color the canvas correctly, covering every tiny spot with paint. Since we’re using acrylic paint, this is going to be fairly easy to apply.
Make sure you also cover the sides of the canvas in the same color. Turn the canvas on all sides and add in the color.
Make sure to also cover the corners of the canvas and to push the paint into the folds too.
There you go! If you feel like it needs more color, you can add another layer after this one dries. Allow it a few minutes in between layers, at least.
Step 2: Paint some coffee beans
Next, we want to paint some of the coffee beans with thegold acrylic paint. For our design, we only want to use about 12 of these gold coffee beans, but you can make however many you feel will work for your design.
Paint the coffee beans on all sides. Since they’re not completely flat, even when you glue them to the canvas later on, there are areas where the brown color could be visible. Once a bean is painted, place it on a piece of paper and allow it to dry.
Step 3: Create your outline
Before you start creating your design, you want to make sure you have the outline right. We’re putting the coffee beans in the shape of a coffee cup, complete with the steam coming off the coffee, and the saucer for the cup.
Start by lining up thecoffee beans to create the shape of the cup.
Then, add a couple of rows of coffee beans to represent the saucer of the cup.
Our cup also needs a handle, so create a loop of coffee beans for that one too.
Also, figure out how your steam waves should look and create them out of more coffee beans.
There you go. This is the general outline for your coffee cup! It’s time we went on to the next step.
Step 4: Glue the coffee beans
Next, you want to start making your design more permanent. Pick up the beans one by one and start adding some hot glue to their backs. Yourglue gun is going to get quite a bit of ‘exercise’ today!
Try to be consistent and follow a path in gluing the coffee beans. You don’t want to forget to do one of them and find out it’s falling off later on.
Once you’ve added hot glue to a coffee bean, make sure you press it into the canvas slightly. In this way, the glue will spread a bit more on the surface of the coffee bean and the canvas and you ensure there’s a better grip.
Once the outline is complete, let’s start filling in the cup with some coffee beans.
Start applying the hot glue to the canvas and then applying coffee beans. Try to keep the beans as close as possible and not leave too many empty space.
You can add the coffee beans both sides up. In fact, while we did put them face down for the outline, we find the design has a lot more personality and texture when we turn them around.
Keep pressing the coffee beans into the canvas, arranging them all as best you can.
Step 5: Add the golden coffee beans
Earlier, we painted a few coffee beans gold. Now it’s time to add them in. Add hot glue to the back of a gold coffee bean and place it in the corner of the canvas, a half-inch from the edge.
You’ll use three coffee beans in each corner. Make sure you arrange them neatly like you can see in the image below. One will be in the middle, oriented towards the corner of the canvas, and the other two will meet at its base, similar to how the leaves on a flower are arranged.
Repeat the process for the other corners of the canvas too!
Step 6: Add some lace
We still have the lace ribbon on our table. Trim the edge of the ribbon and then place it over your “coffee cup” to measure it out.
You want the lace to cover the length of the coffee cup, about two rows lower than the very edge of the cup.
Cut the lace ribbon and proceed to glue it down.
Add a straight line of hot glue over the coffee beans and then press the lace ribbon into it.
Arrange it neatly and try your best to make it go straight, starting just on the edge of the cup.
Add some extra glue to the edge of the beans on the sides of the cup and press the lace into it.
Step 7: Add the anise
We also have the anise left, so let’s find a place for it. We chose to put it on the edge of the coffee cup, right next to the lace ribbon.
Add some hot glue to the spot, and press the anise into it. Hold it there for a few seconds to ensure the glue is set, and you’re good to go.
That’s it! We now have a pretty decor piece for our walls. It’s going to remind you to drink your coffee every day (if, for some reason, you’ve forgotten this essential step), and look mighty nice too. As mentioned, this is a craft that you can customize however you want, by changing the shape and size of the canvas, choosing a different background color for the paint, and even creating a different design out of the coffee beans.
We would love to hear back from you so you can tell us what you like and dislike about this particular craft. We’d also enjoy to see the results of your own crafting time, so please share the pictures with us over social media.
