I can’t wait to try this in my classroom! Messy art is always a favorite with my students. Grab some paper that’s headed to be recycled, glue and paint for this recycled paper art project. This project is very simple and creates beautiful, unique pieces of art.
Often the best art projects are ones that use the most simple materials. I have created many recycled art projects over the years, especially with my students at school. The materials are inexpensive and a great way to recycle.
This project is a great way for kids to explore the materials with their hands and create using their fingers. You can use other materials, such as popsicle sticks instead of fingers, but my kids loved using their hands.
For more projects to do using recycled paper, check out Hands-On Teaching Ideas DIY Recycled Paper and Recycled Seed bombs from Play Learn Inspire.
Recycled Paper Art Materials
One of my favorite things about this project is that you probably already have the materials on hand. Since I do these projects with a large group of children, I also love the fact that it is a very inexpensive project to do.
For this recycled paper art project, you will need:
- Paper
- Water
- Blender
- Glue
- Paint
I used paper that was heading to the recycling bin. Ideally the paper is not colored, however, you could use colored paper and then not add paint.
I used canvas for my kids to create their image on, but you can use anything from cardstock to wooden slices. Regular paper can be used as the background, however, it will get quite wet as children create and may cause the paper to rip or become warped when it dries.
Art Project Steps
Put the paper into water. Warm water works best. Let it soak and then use a blender to create paper pulp. At this point remove most of the water left with the paper. A bit of water is okay, so don’t squeeze the paper and remove all of the water, but it shouldn’t be dripping wet.
Next, add a generous amount of glue. Roughly 1/4 cup for every cup of paper pulp you have. This helps keep the paper together and stick to the paper or canvas you use.
Next separate the pulp with glue into as many colors you want to create. I made six colors so separated the pulp onto six plates.
Add paint to each of the pulps. Mix thoroughly.
Once you have carefully mixed the paint into the pulp, you are ready to begin.
My kids loved creating with their finger, but you can use popsicle sticks to pick up and drop the pulp onto the canvas to create a picture.
Craft Project for Kids
The rest is up to a child’s imagination. You can have children create something specific, like a landscape or flower, or let them create anything they want.
Children use the pulp as they would markers in terms of choosing any colors they want. Pick up a small amount of the colored pulp and place it onto the canvas. Pick the next color and add to the picture. It takes some time to create the picture and children will need to experiment with the materials to create their image.
If kids simply put a blob of the pulp on the canvas and smear it around to leave a trace of color, it will not have the same effect as if they slowly create one blob of pulp at a time.
The project can get a bit messy, but it’s a great sensory experience for kids and creates a beautiful work of art when they’re done.
Encourage children to cover the full page and press the pulp into each other to avoid gaps. This will help keep the paper together when it dries.
Children can also add and mix in more paint if they are wanting a slightly different, or deeper color.
Completing Your Recycled Paper Art
The recycled paper art projects can take awhile to dry because of the water and glue in the pulp. Be patient and give it at least a day to fully dry.
Once it is dry your art is done. When it’s dry you will be left with a unique and textured picture. There are lots of things you can do to add to your project.
You can add a layer of gloss to give a shine and finish to your final project.
You can also add paint around the border of your art to create a frame. Kids can also choose to add some extra details using markers or paint. The recycled paper makes a great textured background.
Recycled Paper Art for Kids Results
My kids loved creating their pictures on canvas, but we had lots of recycled paper left so we kept creating.
On small wooden circles, we created coaster like pictures with the pulp. Kids can create virtually any image they want. We added some paint to some of the pictures to make the textured paper background really stand out.
This art makes a beautiful picture to showcase in your home. With the beautifully colored paper, you can’t go wrong with these creations.
I hope that this recycled paper art for kids gives you lots of ideas to do with your own children, in the classroom or at home.
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