How to make amazing dandelion art
Here's how to help your child create some wonderful, swirly dandelion painting. All you need is paint, cotton wool and a loo roll tube...
Children love arty activities but sometimes, for us parents, all the splattery paint-and-paintbrush mayhem can get a bit much. What we love about this beautiful dandelion painting idea, though, is that it's simple, self-contained and (relatively) splatter-free.
MFM crafter mum Sarah Cummins has tested the idea out with her daughter Annabelle, 6 – and they've shared some brilliant step-by-step pictures with us.
Sarah says she and Annabelle had great fun together, cutting up the loo roll tube and then dipping it in white paint and printing beautiful swirly dandelion patterns on paper. Though Annabelle is 6, they both agree that this is an art activity younger children – even toddlers (with a little help) would really enjoy too.
Here's how to make dandelion art, in 7 easy steps
You will need:
- Cardboard loo roll tube or kitchen roll tube
- Scissors
- Plate or an old eggbox
- Kitchen foil (if using a plate)
- Paint
- Paper
- Cotton wool
- Cotton bud or paintbrush
Step 1: Cutting and Preparing Cardboard Tube
Cut from the end of the cardboard tube inwards towards the middle. Repeat all the way around the edge, leaving a little space between each cut, so you're creating strips. The thinner the strips, the better the end result! If you want to make a variety of dandelion sizes, use more than 1 cardboard tube and cut shorter or longer strips.
Step 2: Flattening the Strips
Push down on the cardboard tube with your palm to flatten and spread out the strips.
Step 3: Creating Paint Prints
If you're using a plate, cover it with kitchen foil. Pour some paint onto your plate or into a section of your old egg box. (We chose white paint, but you can use coloured if you want, too.) Dip your cardboard tube, strips-side-down, into the paint and then make a print on your paper. Rotate the tube and then print on top the pattern you've just printed to create a dandelion effect.
Step 4: Repeating Print Process
Repeat as many times as you want and then make more flower prints. Remember to rotate the tube and print on top as you go. We think 3 to 5 dandelions on a piece of A4 paper looks best.
Step 5: Adding Cotton Wool Centers
Now dip the cotton wool into your paint and dab it in the centre of each dandelion.
Step 6: Painting Stems
Use a cotton bud or a paintbrush, dipped in the paint, to make a stem for each dandelion.
Step 7: Drying and Displaying
Leave to dry and then display proudly!
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