Paper Plate Craft: Watercolor Glue Resist Painting
Have you tried making watercolor glue resist painting with the kids? It’s fun! We turned ours into a paper plate craft since we are in the middle of moving and I can’t remember where the paper drawing pads are. Big Brother and Little Sister loved the idea of painting on paper plates!
This post is also part of a Painting Challenge hosted by Messy Little Monster. 30+ different blogs are sharing fun painting techniques such as shaving cream art, magnet painting, painting with toys, splat painting, and 30 more! It’s meant to be an open-ended activity where it’s all about the process and not the end result. Kids will have fun exploring, experimenting, and creating!
How to make the watercolor glue resist painting:
We used both regular-sized paper plates and dessert plates. The kids each made a design. Big Brother made an alien while Little Sister attempted writing and then ended up making squiggly lines. I couldn’t resist getting in on the fun and made several designs while they were busy creating theirs. One is an ocean scene with fish, seaweed, a starfish, and bubbles. On a small plate, I quickly drew a smiling sun and a flower design on another. Set aside to dry. This part will take a few hours, but you could speed up the process by placing them to dry under a fan.
Instead of paper plates, you could use regular paper like we did with this similar resist art activity or even on blank cards. It would be fun to let them design their own cards! Find a jumbo sheet of paper to make matching wrapping paper.
After it’s completely dry, it’s time to start painting. Get out you watercolors and paintbrushes. If you don’t happen to have watercolors on hand, mix water in a cup with a drop of paint. Let the kids paint the paper plates however they’d like not worrying about staying inside the lines. Suggest that they experiment making new paint colors by painting a 2nd color on top of a section they already painted.
Little kids will be in awe seeing the designs magically appear. Older kids will love seeing their drawings peek through the paint. Let the painted paper plates dry and then hang up on the wall or refrigerator for all to enjoy!
Brilliant. Will have to try this with the boys
This is fab. We must give it a go 🙂
Thanks for sharing this ideal. Could you elaborate on how you drew your picture on the plates with the glue please?. What type of glue did you use to get fine lines and not have it spread into blobs or puddles? Did you drip glue from a bottle or use liquid glue with a tool (paint brush, craft stick)?
Hi Irene! I used Elmer’s glue that was still a pretty full bottle – the lines come out smoother than a bottle of glue that is half empty. The drawings are free-handed.My preschooler’s drawing were more of just random scribbles. Hope that helps!
Hi Irene,
My daughter dripped homemade watercolors from the paintbrush. The watercolors were just water mixed with a bit of food coloring 🙂