Maker Monday: Cardboard Tube Paintbrushes

It’s always fun (and practical) to do a creative craft project that finds new uses for recycled materials. With this week’s Maker Monday activity, kids can make delicate, Impressionist-style paintings with homemade Cardboard Tube Paintbrushes.

With just three colors, kids can paint gorgeous flowers. You can coordinate several shades from one hue, or go wild with complementary colors.

Maker Monday Materials:

• washable latex paint in a variety of colors
• a small paintbrush
• a disposable plastic or paper plate, or something else to use as a paint palette
• a cardboard tube
• scissors
• paper for your artwork
• a cup of water

Maker Monday Instructions:

Step 1: Cut into one end of a cardboard tube, making cuts about 2 inches deep and very close together. See above.

Step 2: Bend the cut edges back to form the “paintbrush.”

Step 3: Choose three paint colors for your flower. Put several blobs of each color paint onto your palette with the thin paintbrush, making circles of paint as wide as the bristles of your new cardboard tube paintbrush. Then dip the cardboard tube paintbrush into the paint.

Step 4: Dab the paint onto the paper. The paint will appear as a splash of color — kind of like fireworks. Repeat with your additional paint colors, putting new colors on top of previous colors. You can use the same cardboard tube paintbrush for all three colors. No need to clean in between applications.

Step 5: With the thin paintbrush, add a bit of water to the edge of paint on the palette. Then paint a pale bit of color in the center of each flower.

Step 6:  Finally, use the thin paintbrush to paint a stem and leaves onto your flowers. As Monet would have said, “C’est magnifique!”

Want more at-home fun creating cool stuff and making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday projects right here.

Do you have an idea for a Maker Monday craft project? If so, please share it with Kidsburgh! Send your maker activity ideas to info@kidsburgh.org.