Children Can Use Nature and Paint to Make Unique Pictures

Children will often gather pretty rocks, leaves, feathers, or other objects they find while on a nature hike. They may display them in a scrapbook or on a shelf. Now they can put those leaves to use in another way by creating unique pictures using Acrylic paints and poster boards. These pictures are fun and easy to do and require very little adult help or supervision. It is better for your child to do this art technique outdoors as the paint tends to spatter. They should also wear old clothing.

Items needed to make nature paintings

-Black poster board or card stock at least eight inches by 10 inches

-White paint

-Leaves

NOTE: Leaves should be small enough to place on the eight inch by 10-inch poster boards. I have found that small ferns work great for this craft.

-Toothbrush

-Wooden craft stick

-One three-ounce plastic cup

-Newspaper

-Waxed paper

-Two heavy books

-Two eight inch by 10 inch picture frames

Instructions for making the nature painting

For these instructions, we will make two nature paintings. After you have gathered leaves from your nature walk, place them between two sheets of waxed paper and then press them beneath the two heavy books. Allow them to remain under the books for one day.

If your poster board is not the correct size, cut it to make two, eight inch by 10-inch rectangles. Spread out the newspaper on the ground or a tabletop, and then place the poster board on the newspaper. You want to make sure you are not working in a windy area.

Pour a liberal amount of white Acrylic paint in the plastic cup.

Center the leaf on the poster board. Dip the toothbrush in the paint, being sure to get lots of paint on the brush. Hold the toothbrush over the leaf and poster board. Pull the wooden craft stick over the brush end of the toothbrush, towards you. Paint should splatter in droplets over the poster board and leaf. You want to make sure the leaf does not move. You can use small rocks to weight it down, just as long as they do not interfere with the leaf pattern. Continue covering the leaf and poster board with paint until you have an outline of the leaf. Be careful not to use too much paint. You only want an outline of the leaf.

After your nature paintings have dried, they can be framed.

Source: BSA