Maker Monday: Cardboard Tube Paintbrush

Finding new uses for recycled materials adds a fun element to craft projects. With this week’s Maker Monday activity, kids can make delicate, Impressionist-style paintings with Cardboard Tube Paintbrushes.

Three colors work well to develop a depth of color and richness for your flowers. You can coordinate several shades from a particular hue, or go wild with complementary colors.

Supplies:

Washable latex paint in a variety of colors

Paintbrush

Palette or paint tray (we used a disposable plastic dish)

Cardboard tube

Scissors

Paper

Cup of water

Cut into one end of a cardboard tube, making the thin cuts about 2 inches deep.

Fold the cut edges back to form the “paintbrush.”

Choose three paint colors for the flower. Daub blobs of paint with thin paintbrush onto the palette in a circle the size of the tube paintbrush bristles. Dip the cardboard tube paintbrush into the paint. Then dab onto the paper. The paint will appear as a splash of color. Think fireworks.

Repeat with your additional paint colors. You can use the same cardboard tube paintbrush for all three colors. No need to clean in between applications.

With the thin paintbrush, add a bit of water to the edge of paint on the palette to give a pale bit of color to the flower center.

Also with the thin paintbrush, paint a stem and leaves onto your flower. As Monet would have said: C’est magnifique!

For other Maker Monday projects and fun stuff for kids, visit the Kidsburgh Activities page.