Recently, I began journaling and sketching with my seven year old. I would draw a little bit and hand it over to him and he would add to it. It has become a process we both really enjoy and it’s a happy time to share together. It also reminded me how much doing a simple craft can make such a lasting impact. I found some of my old art school education materials from college and pulled this craft (lesson) on bleeding tissue paper together quickly and inexpensively; and it is appropriate for all ages of crafters.
Bleeding Tissue Craft Supplies:
White, thick paper such as mixed media paper, marker paper or paint paper.
Cheap colored tissue paper (I purchased a multi color pack at Target; it was $4.99 for a huge pack of pack).
Black Sharpie.
Assorted brushes and water.
There will be enough supplies to make several crafts after this project.
You can create several types of craft variations for all skill levels with bleeding tissue paper. For my first grader, we talked about foreground and background and concentric circles. These are basic art principles. At this age, they really start to understand the depth of field in images. We drew flowers to work on concentric circles. Next we took water and painted the paper in small areas and placed torn tissue over the wet areas. After working on a few areas, come back and remove the tissue. The wet tissue bleeds color off, leaving a beautiful water effect on the paper. It’s a very satisfying project with instant impact.
Variations of the project:
Paint more water over the tissue and remove to get a more diffused effect.
Let the wet tissue dry and remove for a more defined effect.
Use a punch or scissor to work on scissor skills.
Lay tissue out in patterns.
Work on canvas to create wall art.
