I’m always on the lookout for fun, easy and effective crafts to do with my toddler. So when we did our fall watercolor pumpkin stamping and it WORKED, I knew we’d be repeating the process many times over!
This painting method is incredibly easy, versatile and relatively mess free. If you have a child with sensory aversions, then it’s a winner too – it’s just colored water!
Supplies
Cardstock, Scissors, Craft Paint, Small Cups, Straws, Paper Plate, Water
Safety scissors optional 😉
Instructions
1. Freehand cut various sizes of hearts. No need for perfection. If you do the typical fold-in-half-and-cut heart, you’ll end up with a crease in the cardstock. No bueno, Batman.
2. In each cup, place 1/2 teaspoon paint (don’t measure, just eyeball) and 1 tablespoon water. Stir with a straw. Choose paints that vary, but coordinate. For this project, we used a purple, red, pink and aqua.
3. Using the straw as suction (submerge in liquid, place finger over end and pull out), drop paint on paper plate. This is where it gets fun! Be free! Get creative! Watch how the paint swirls when you drop different colors on top of each other vs next to each other. My little guy really loved watching this part!
Once your paint covers an area as large as your paper hearts, let your kids “stamp” each pumpkin by placing it directly in the paint. My Picasso liked to move it around and it still turned out great!
Press down then peel up within a couple seconds – you don’t want the water to bleed all the way through the cardstock. We learned a new trick this time around… if you stamp both sides, the cardstock pieces don’t curl!
Let dry on a paper towel or new paper plate.
Once fully dry, attach them to a store-bought or homemade card with a glue stick. Your toddlers can do this part too! I ALWAYS have these cards + envelopes from Michaels on hand. The come in so handy!
Add a greeting with a sharpie – or keep it simple like we did!
Your little ones will LOVE spreading the love this Valentine’s Day with their homemade cards. Need a little gift to go with? Check out Mama’s Love Rub gift in a jar or our Handprint Ring Dishes made with air-dry clay!
