Have you ever fancied trying out some printmaking with your little ones,
but don't want to arm them with the sharp implements needed for lino printing?
Well happy days are here, because with some items you can probably find in
your craft basket and a trip to the butcher, you and your littlies can be creating
limited edition art prints in no time.
What you will need:
- poster/acrylic paints
- plastic plate
- pencil or skewer
- sponge roller or paintbrush
- brayer or your hands
- paper to print on
And the secret ingredient: a styrofoam tray.
Head to your local butcher, deli or fruit and veg store,
ask nicely and you will nearly surely be rewarded.
1. Cut the raised edges off your styrofoam tray leaving a flat surface.
Ask your little one to draw a picture on the flat side of the tray using
the pencil or a skewer. The pencil may be a little tricky to draw into the
surface with at first but they will soon get the hang of it.
Make sure that they are making nice deep lines, otherwise their drawing
will not show up once it is printed.
2. Once your little artist is happy with their design, spread some paint
onto the plastic plate. Then use your sponge roller to cover the entire
design side of the styrofoam tray. If you don't have a sponge
roller you can use a paintbrush to completely cover the tray.
3. Carefully place a piece of paper onto the inked side of the styrofoam tray
4. If you are using a brayer, have your little one roll this over the paper
making sure that pressure is applied to the entire image.
5. If you don't have a brayer you can still achieve a good result by using
your hands. Have your child use their hands to smooth the paper onto
the design. It is probably a good idea to go over it with your bigger
stronger hands to make sure the image has transferred.
6. Time to reveal your masterpiece. Carefully peel the paper from the tray and
you will hopefully see your design as a relief in the printed image.
7. Your little artist will be super chuffed with their efforts at printmaking!
Once you get the hang of this (and make good friends with your butcher) you
can make prints of all their gorgeous little drawings.
