Printmaking for Kids
I’m always looking for kids’ art projects that really look like art and this is a good one. Printmaking allows kids to use paper and paint in a new way!
Materials:
paper
tempera paints
plastic page protectors
cotton balls
clothespins
Sharpie markers (optional)
1. Draw big outlines of flowers and leaves on pieces of paper. Put each outline into a page protector.
2. Make a paint dauber by clipping a cotton ball into a clothes pin. Students use the paint dauber to put paint onto the sheet protector.
3. Fill in the outline with dots of paint. (In the picture I switched from a leaf outline to a tulip outline.)
4. Lay a blank piece of paper on top of the painted sheet protector. Gently press down to transfer paint onto the paper. Carefully peel the paper up off the plastic and you have your print.
You can press on another piece of paper and get a lighter print or add more paint to the plastic to make another darker print.
Optional – After the paint dries you can have your students use Sharpie markers to trace around the edges and around any white spots in the middle of the print. You may want to have your students cut their prints out.
