STAR Buckaroo

Cutie Patootie Yanic, age 3, from NS, Canada, paints "circles and hearts for Daddy". Thanks for your photo, Yanic! Look for your gift of appreciation in the mail!

Would your child like to see their art posted here? Any type of art. If so, please submit the photo here: kidbuckaroo@gmail.com. Please include your child's first name and your mailing address (only your province will be printed). Each submit gets your child a little craft gift!

For ideas about painting please check out these sections: Painting and Paper Projects.

Comb Painting

What You Will Need

thick coloured construction paper (or cardboard)
2.5 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of water
about 10 drops of food colouring
comb (flat, not curved, along exposed end of teeth)
mixing bowl and spoon



Instructions

1. Mix flour and water well, smoothing out bumps.



2. Add food colouring to mixture. Mix well.



3. Spread the paste on the paper.



4. Drag the comb through the paint for different effects.


Additional Details

Use combs with assorted spaced and sized teeth for different effects.

This recipe makes about 6 tablespoons of comb paint.

Puffy Paint Recipe

What You Will Need

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup salt
1/3 cup water
about 12 drops of food colouring
squeeze bottle
thick paper or cardboard
bowl and spoon for mixing



Instructions

1. Mix the flour, salt and water.



2. Add the food colouring.



3. Fill the squeeze bottle with the paint.



4. Repeat this entire procedure for each paint colour that you want.




(Puffy paint picture of "a shiny day" by Thomas, age 2)

Additional Details

This recipe makes 1 cup of paint.

Depending on how thickly you have painted, it may take many hours to completely dry.

The paint will be puffy with a slight sparkle when dry.

To transfer your paint easily into the bottle (step 3), choose a bottle with a wide opening. Here we have used an old mustard container.

The cardboard we used in this project was the inside of an old cereal box.

String Paintings

(string painting by Thomas, 2 years old)

What You Will Need

white paper sheet
string (one piece for each paint colour, about 6 inches long)
non-toxic paints, approximately 2 tablespoons per colour



Instructions

1. It works best if the paint is spread in a swallow dish or bowl. Dip a piece of string in the paint, saturated it well.



2. Drag and drop the string against the paper.



3. Repeat with the other paint colours.

Additional Details

Use strings of different textures and widths for a varied effect.

Fold your paper in half to make a pretty card.

Paper Mache Bowl

What You Will Need

1 recipe Paper Mache Paste
bowl (to mold)
newspaper
scissors (big ones for you, safety ones for the kids)
an assortment of non-toxic paints
a paint brush
scotch tape
piece of thin plastic wrap (big enough to cover your bowl)



Instructions

1. Cut strips from the newspaper - about 1 inch wide, 2 inches long.




2. Cover the bowl (to be molded) with a plastic wrap. The wrap will allow the bowl to be removed easily when the project is complete. Tape the wrap into place. Turn the bowl upside down on your work area.





3. Dip the paper strips into the paste. Put the covered strips between your thumb and index finger. Slide your fingers down over the paper, with an easy pressure, to remove excess paste.





4. Place the strips on the bowl in a crisscrossed fashion. Make sure you overlap layers. Be certain to give good coverage to the sides of the bowl as well as the bottom.



5. Let your project dry, sitting it in a dry, warm place. It will take about 48 hours for the project to be well dried.



6. Carefully remove the paper-mache form from the original bowl.



6. Peel away the plastic.



7. Any excess, or uneven edges may be trimmed with scissors.




8. Paint your masterpiece and let dry.




(painted by Nicholas, 7 yrs old)

Additional Details

Light paint colours let the newsprint show through as in the photo below.



Use dark coloured paints if you do not want the newsprint to show.

This is a messy project but very fun to do and the end result is well worth the effort.

Marble Painting

(marble painting by 2 year old Thomas)

What You Will Need


a box (a shoe box works perfectly)
an assortment of non-toxic paints
scissors
a few marbles
paper (coloured or white, the choice is yours)

Instructions

1. Cut the paper to fit in the bottom of the box.


2. Roll a marble in one colour of paint and place it in the box.


3. Repeat step 2 until all marbles are covered with paint and laying in the box. This can be a messy job, have a towel or some wet-wipes at arms reach.





4. Tilt the box in all directions. The marbles will leave a paint trail behind as they roll around the bottom of the box.



Because the marbles are round and can't fit flat into the corners, a natural border is made on these pieces of art.