Clara turned three on Tuesday (Threesday?), and we’ve spent the last few days soaking up every bit of this bright, curious little girl while wondering where the past three years went.
As we did for her first and second birthdays, we marked the end of another year by creating a custom fabric backdrop for her photo project. That tradition began on her first birthday when we turned my handwriting into a repeating pattern and printed it on fabric. The following year we translated one of Clara’s scribbles into a printed design. Both projects were memorable ways to capture the moment and to celebrate her creativity.
This year we wanted something bolder and more colorful, and we wanted Clara to be part of it again. Instead of digitizing a scribble, we decided to let her paint directly on two yards of cotton fabric so the backdrop would be vivid and uniquely hers.
Because the project would get messy, we moved to the new house where there’s plenty of space that isn’t precious—the deck was perfect. We taped a drop cloth down and then secured the cotton fabric in the center so Clara would have a large canvas to cover.
We used washable, non-toxic kid paints since that’s what Clara knows and trusts. Although fabric paint would have made the backdrop more permanent, these familiar paints let her work freely without worrying about technique. The result was playful and full of personality.
She picked pink first and eagerly poured paint from the bottle, then spread it with a foam brush. She mixed colors, dabbed blobs, and added both handprints and footprints—some of our favorite details of the whole piece.
In about thirty minutes she had covered most of the two yards with cheerful splotches and marks. Near the end of the session we had a spontaneous idea: instead of adding a number to her shirt later in editing, why not let her paint her shirt right on the spot? With paint still wet and Clara delightfully messy, we carried the whole drop cloth to the side of the house and taped it up to form an instant backdrop.
We were cutting it close to losing daylight and to Clara’s patience, but we managed to capture a jump shot that sums up her energy perfectly—jumping has become her default move lately. We added the finishing touches in post, keeping the moment as true to the session as possible.
There were plenty of outtakes that had us laughing—poses and expressions that didn’t make the main shot but are delightful reminders of how playful she is. One of our favorites became her “Stomp The Yard” stance, which made us smile every time we scrolled through the photos.
With this shoot we’re wrapping up her monthly photos. We’ve loved documenting her growth, but the sessions have started to feel less fun for her and a bit more like a challenge to persuade her to cooperate. So we’re letting this be a natural stopping point. We still plan to create a new fabric for each birthday—and maybe a half-birthday—if she’s into it as she gets older.
The images above include 25 photos taken between ages one and three, and the 52 weekly pictures we took during her first year are shown below. Together they form a visual record of her earliest years and all the small changes along the way.
Another favorite tradition: Clara has spent every birthday with three of her grandparents. Looking back at those images, a funny detail stands out—each adult tends to wear the same shirt more than once across different photos.
Are you making custom fabric, wrapping up a photo project, or letting a child paint freely? We’d love to hear about similar projects. Wishing everyone a happy weekend and encouraging you to save a little time to create something colorful with the kids in your life.