While we try to use re-usable packaging for holiday gifts, this is a perfect option for items that don’t fit into fabric bags or in our case, wrapping up packages to send to our friend’s kids in the mail. Materials We recommend that you wear a smock over old clothes for these processes and that you cover your floor under your work table with a plastic sheet or tarp. Directions 1) Snowball prints Materials needed: Bottle caps, white paint, shallow container, pencil with eraser, kraft paper, painter’s tape, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Dip your caps and pencil eraser into your paint and carefully apply it to your paper. Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 1) Splatter Painted Materials needed: Paint, sponges, paint brushes, block, kraft paper, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Using sponges, we created a space-y base for the splatter painting technique. We created various shapes of lines, starting with dark colours first and then adding another lighter colour beside it. Be free with this process. We then splatter painted white and copper flecks overtop, by taping our brush on a block, over top of the sponge painting. Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 3) Squeegee Painting Materials needed: Squeegee, paint, kraft paper, painter’s tape, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Put lines and dots of paint on your paper and then use your squeegee to move the paint around, going in various directions. We found adding a metallic to the paint choices, really made this technique pop! If you don’t have a squeegee, you can create a similar, smaller-scale effect with an old gift card. Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 4) Holiday Greenery Prints Materials needed: Styrofoam sheet or a clean, unused styrofoam tray, large tile, brayers, pencil, paper, scissors, printing ink, golf tee, paint, scissors, painter’s tape, spoon Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Design your greenery on paper and cut it out. Tape your pattern to your styrofoam sheet, trace around it and cut out your shape from your styrofoam. Put a spoon of printing ink onto your tile and spread it out with your brayer, getting a good, even layer on it. You could use paint, but printing ink creates a more clear image. Roll your brayer over your styrofoam, covering it evenly with your printing ink. Apply your styrofoam template to your paper (flipping it upside down). You can rub the styrofoam cut-out to assure the paint adheres to your paper evenly, but rolling a second, clean brayer over the styrofoam greenery assures the crispest image. You can create patterns like our son did or you can go for something more random. We then dipped a golf tee into the paint and created little berries. Really with this technique, you could create any number of shapes- be sure to “make it your own” with your unique interpretations! If you want photos for better understanding, here is another project that we did with printmaking: https://make-it-your-own.com/valentines-day-printmaking-set-of-cards/ Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 5) Cupboard Liner Prints Materials needed: Plastic cupboard liner, paint, brayer, kraft paper, painter’s tape, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Squirt paint on the cupboard liner side that is texturized (both of them may be) and then covers your liner with the paint, using your brayer. With a sibling, friend or adult, flip your cupboard liner over onto your paper and use a clean brayer to roll over it to assure contact to create the prints. Carefully lift it off and wash your liner. Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 6) Drip Drop Painting Materials needed: Diluted paint or we used ink, pipette, small container, kraft paper, painter’s tape, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. Put your ink into your container and then suck it up by squeezing the bulb of your pipette, dipping it into the paint and then slowly releasing it. To apply your paint, hold it above your paper and then slowly compress the bulb, letting drips splash onto your paper! Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! 7) Bubble Prints Materials needed: Straws, liquid watercolour paint/food colouring (read the label for non-toxic), dish soap, kraft paper, painter’s tape, scissors Don your smock. Roll out your paper and tape it to the underside of your table. You could do this on the floor too, taping it to your plastic sheet. This is an activity for children a little older who won’t accidentally suck in the paint/bubble solution. Cut a tiny snip out of each straw (this will reduce your ability to suck in in case you accidentally forget to only blow on the straws!) and then tape a bundle of them together. Mix your solution of paint or food colouring, a bit of water and a few tablespoons of dish soap. Dip one end of your straw bundle into the mixture and then blow on the other end, creating bubbles on your page! My kids will often put a dot on the end that they stick into the paint so that they don’t accidentally mix it up! Allow to dry overnight. Carefully remove your tape and trim your edges. Wrap up your packages and add a bow! Pin these ideas: What kinds of wrapping paper have you made with your kids or students? Please tag us on Instagram so we can see it: https://www.instagram.com/make_it_your_own_/ We’d LOVE to see it! Here’s 1 of 3 examples from our friends Cara and Sarah of Smocks On (http://www.smockson.com/). You can find their tutorials on The Art Garden where they guest posted for Holly Jolly Craftmas: https://theartgardenblog.com/2017/12/01/its-time-for-craftmas-kid-made-wrapping-paper/ of their kid-made wrapping paper! Purpose Experimenting with different painting and printing techniques! Safety Notes We suggest that you wear a smock and old clothes and use a plastic sheet to protect surfaces. Use scissors with care and adult supervision. Select non-toxic products when working with children. Small items such as caps, can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children 0-3 years or those that tend to put things in their mouths. Please like & share: One Response Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
