Did you know you can paint with coffee? Yeah, Coffee. You read that correctly. If you’re in the creative mood but don’t have any paint on hand, fear not—coffee can serve as a perfect substitute for watercolor! Here is how you do it:
Step One: Pick your coffee! A dark roast like our Waypoint Blend will provide an extra rich color to apply to your canvas. But really… whatever you have on hand works. Leftover drip coffee in your morning pot? Perfect, now you have paint!
Step Two: Prepare the coffee! There are a couple of ways you could go about this. One option is to just use your morning coffee (be sure to avoid using coffee with dairy). Another option is to brew fresh drip coffee, espresso, or even a French press! You could also mix grounds with hot water if you want to keep it simple (we recommend coarse grounds so the focus can be on your painting and not on a mess).
Step Three: Put together all your materials! Find a place where you’d enjoy this activity most, whether it’s at home, a friend’s house, or even a park. All you really need is a paintbrush, some watercolor paper, two cups, your coffee, and room temperature water.
Step Four: Gather Inspiration! Fun fact: Did you know we have coffee paintings displayed in our Shaw cafe? Drop by to see these amazing pieces of art up close! YouTube is a great resource for tutorials if you’re new to painting or want to try out different techniques. Also, check out Pinterest for watercolor inspirations you can recreate - coffee style!
Step Five: Paint! After you’ve gathered your inspiration, dive on in! Coffee painting is a fantastic activity to enjoy with friends, or a soothing way to unwind and relax on your own after a long day. Experiment with different techniques and blends of coffee to see what you come up with, and most importantly, have fun with the process.
Happy painting!
