Markers + Salad Scraps = Art

I love that fact that my artsy 5-year-old pulled the end of a freshly chopped celery stalk off the counter while I was making dinner to print with.

She used markers, a sheet of paper from our reusable art paper and something I was going to throw in the compost heap.

I love it:)

Sponge Painting with a Twist

Wow. I have been away from my blog for over a month now. Between a very long vacation and the start of school something had to give! But we are now getting into the swing of things and I am back! This very rainy day is also helping to keep me inside. The days have been so lovely that working in front of the computer is nearly impossible. I just hope there is someone out there still interested in what I have to share.
In most instances I would say that sponge painting does not excite me very much. It gets on fingers and the spongy prints make me think of a home decorating attempt gone bad. But I discovered that a sponge as a vehicle for printing can be a pretty cool thing. We used ours as gift wrap.
You need paper, a sponge cut into the shape you want to use, tempera paint, squeeze bottles with a small opening, a printing plate (I used a plastic yogurt lid).

Squirt the paint on the printing plate. Press sponge onto paint. Print. Repeat.

I wish I had taken a picture of the wrapped present--it was so very pretty! I think this would be great to do with older kids as well--they could make more detailed squirts to print.

Lace Prints

This is without a doubt, my new favorite technique. It is so fun and the results are lovely. This is something that can be done any time of year, with any color or colors--but it is especially perfect for Valentine's Day. We made several (too fun to only make one) so we may cut a few to make cards or hearts or for collage. For now, I just need to share the joy! First, go to your local thrift store and buy a lace curtain. I got mine for $2.99. If you can't find any, you can get a piece of lacy fabric at a craft or fabric store. You really do not need much--1/2 a yard will be fine. You will also need an empty clean spray bottle, liquid watercolors, watercolor paper and something to cover a large work area. I will warn you, this can get pretty ugly if your little artist is not careful. I would not dream of letting my 2-year-old do this indoors (and I am pretty relaxed about art messes). My 4-year-old is probably more careful than me, so we did not have any problems.

Cover the work space and set your watercolor paper in the center. Spread the lace over the paper and try to avoid wrinkles. Put your liquid watercolor paint in the spray bottle. I diluted it with some water which is totally optional.

Start spraying. For best results, aim for a quick misty spray. Encourage your child to keep the lace in one place.

Lift the lace off the paper to reveal your lace print.

Oooh la la! We LOVED this. I so enjoyed Hollin's enthusiasm. She just could not get enough of it. I hope this becomes a favorite for you too!

Doilie Stencils

We had something of a Valentine's Day craft free-for-all this morning. I think these came out really nice and were very "ooooh, ahhh" inspiring. First we mixed up some tempera paint to get the colors we wanted to work with. Each kid got a large sheet of heavy white paper and a big paper doilie. Our doilies were pretty thin and worked just fine. The object is to hold the doilie still and paint over the pretty pattern. I had to help my 2-year-old hold it still. Once you finish painting, just lift up the doilie to reveal your lovely stenciled pattern.

A few cookie cutter heart prints for some extra flair...

Special bonus is you end up with a painted doilie for another craft!

Spool Snowflakes

Here is a quick and rewarding printmaking project for a snowy day. I hope you like it as much as we do.
I am a big fan of all types of gadget printing--especially for toddlers. To make snowflake prints, use white paint on a colored background, or make a pale blue paint and use white paper. I used tempera and card stock. First we mixed up some pale blue paint. (The mixing of colors alone is a great experience). Next, I gave my little guy some empty thread spools and showed him how to push the spool into the paint and then print on the paper.

Prints and Stamps

One of my favorite stamping and printmaking mediums can be found at a hardware store or in just about any box store in the hardware section. It is cheap, easy to find, and you can also use it to seal up any drafts around your windows and doors:) It is roll of adhesive vinyl weather stripping tape. It come in a few different widths and is usually gray. I used the 1/2 inch width for the projects below, but have used thicker ones in the past. A roll should cost you about $3.00 and a little goes a long way. You also need cardboard scraps, masking tape, markers and paper. You can use tempera paint for a more vibrant result, but I prefer the markers. My 4-year-old enjoys coloring and re-coloring the stamp. If you use paint you really need to stick to a single color unless you want to take the time to really clean between colors. (If you do choose to use paint, I recommend painting the stamp with a brush rather than dipping it into the paint).

I have instructions for making a single stamp and a printing plate below.

1. To make a single stamp, start by cutting a scrap of cardboard into a square, about 3" x 3". Use a piece of masking tape to make a handle on one side (as pictured below).

2. Cut the weather stripping tape into small pieces of various sizes and stick them onto the front of your stamp (when you unroll it for the first time be sure you do not peel it off the paper. You want to paper to be on until you are ready to stick it to the stamp).
3. Color with markers.

4. Start stamping! You will need to reapply the marker after every stamp. You can easily change color by stamping it on a scrap paper a few times to completely clean if off). This is a great project for introducing pattern.

You can also make a scene that can be printed again and again by making a printing plate.

1. Use a larger piece of cardboard. Cut the weather stripping into pieces and start arranging.

2. Color with markers.

3. Carefully turn the printing plate over and press onto a sheet of paper. Be sure to keep it steady as you press.

4. Lift it off the paper carefully.

5. Repeat, repeat, repeat! You can make only one, or a great big edition of prints.

Shaving Cream Prints

Is it messy? Yes. But it is SO much fun. I am certain that there is not a child out there who does not love to do this. Whether they simply run their little fingers through it or make a thousand prints, they will want to do it again. This is a favorite project in my toddler art class. Even the parents ask if we can do it again. Although it is a great tactile experience for the littlest artists, it is also well received by older children. Everyone seems fascinated by the swirling colors and the amazing way those swirls are captured with a quick press of paper.

To do this you will need a tray of some kind. I like to use foil baking pans but have used all sorts of things. You also need shaving cream, liquid watercolors, a plastic egg carton (or other paint tray), a popsicle stick, an eye dropper, white card stock (blank index card are great for this) lots of paper towels and newspaper to cover your work space and a place to put your wet prints.

1. Cover your work area and fill the tray with shaving cream.

2. Squeeze some liquid watercolors into your palette--you can dilute with water for softer colors.

3. Show your child how to use the dropper to "pick-up" paint and drop it in the shaving cream. Encourage them to make lots of drops using the different colors (3-5 colors is all you need).

4. Use the popsicle stick to swirl the shaving cream around (fingers work too and they will get their hands in it eventually--take a deep breath, it will wash off!).

5. Now that you have beautiful swirly shaving cream, press a piece of card stock into the cream and lift it up. It will be covered in shaving cream. Wipe it off with paper towels and ooh and aah!

6. Just keep doing it!

When the paper dries it can be used to make greeting cards, collages, or enjoyed as is. As you can see, I did not include any pictures of the final result, you will just have to make some to see!

Vegetable Prints

I have always felt a bit uncomfortable using food to make art. I cannot help but to cringe and think that we should be eating our produce, not printing with it. But, I decided to go ahead and spare some produce for the sake of art the other day. You want to use tempera paint for this. Cut some interesting fruits and vegetables and set out some paper (we used a huge sheet of newsprint). Simply press the friut or veggie into the paint, then onto the paper and repeat. We used primary colors and I did not impose any rules regarding which fruits needed to be with what colors. I let her just go with it.

I did not use much, half an apple, a strawberry, half a brussel sprout, a small hunk of red cabage and the stumps of a green onion and a carrot. The carrot was not very interesting, the cabage fell apart. The green onion and brussell sprout were beautiful and the apple was Hollin's favorite to work with. Peppers and mushrooms would also be fun to try. The objects do tend to get slippery with paint, making it a challenge for little fingers to hold, so try to wipe your child's hands (and the object) from time to time to avoid frustration.

Bubble Prints

Today we made bubble prints. This is a messy one, but oh so much fun! I have done the straw version in the past, but today we tried blowing colored bubbles on paper as well. First, I filled a bowl with a bubble solution. You can use the store bought kind or make your own using about 2 tablespoons of dish soap to about 1 cup of water. I then added a good squirt of liquid watercolors (probably 2 tablespoons worth). I have mixed in tempera paint in the past and it does work, but liquid watercolors are ideal. Mix it up, and bring it outside. As I mentioned before, this is a messy project so cover your area or do it somewhere that can stand a few spills. I made two bowls of colored bubbles, one red and one purple. Give your child a straw and let them start blowing bubbles. Hollin turned 4 last month and can do this without drinking the solution, I would suggest that you blow the bubbles for anyone under 3 and watch your child carefully at any age--it is not uncommon for children to accidently (or purposefully) taste the solution. Once they have blown enough air into the bubble solution that is has risen above the surface you simply press a sheet of paper onto the bubbles. I like to use blank index cards for this. You can make lots of small prints that can later be used as cards or for collage projects. You can repeat this process with different colors and multiple times with each sheet of paper. Hollin wanted to immediately wipe off any bubbles that transfered onto the paper which is okay and totally optional. The results are amazing. Do as many or as few bowls of color as you wish.

We also tried to blow colored bubbles onto paper. I added a few squirts (I am rarely exact in any sort of measuring) of liquid watercolors to bottles of bubbles. We made one orange, one blue and one green. It worked really well. It was fun trying to get the bubbles to land on the paper. The ones that got away did not make a mess as I had thought they might. Hollin did spill an entire container on the concrete patio that has not scrubbed out just yet despite the paints being washable, so be careful! I used newsprint paper for this with plans to use it as wrapping paper. If have also heard of people placing paper in a big box and blowing the bubbles into the box--great idea if you plan on doing this indoors.