Nature's Paint Brushes

Nature's Paint Brushes

Nature provides the most beautiful prints and patterns.  I wanted to bring some of those into the classroom, and give children an opportunity to create unique designs with nontraditional brushes. 

 The plants and sticks were all collected on a nature walk.

The brushes were inexpensive to make. The only expense was the cost of the floral tape, which was $1.75 at Walmart.

 The Invitation

 I set the brushes in individual glass bottles, so the children could see each one separately and pick out the one they wanted to use.  I chose a large sheet of drawing paper to allow children room to swing, tap, and swoosh the brush as they felt fit.  We used a sheet of aluminum foil to place the paint on, but a plate would work also.

Children picked the colors they wanted to work with.

Some children slapped the paint on and others rubbed.

The long pine needles created lines across the paper.



Teacher's Tips:

~ Cover surface & use smocks
~ Sprits brushes with water to keep them from drying out