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This rainbow painted leaf art is a beautiful nature craft you can make with the kids with simple materials and vibrant results!
Creating simple nature art prints is one of our favorite easy art activities to make with kids! Leaf art has so many different possibilities from making leaf animals to creating beautiful leaf mobiles. We decided to keep it simple this time with this rainbow leaf art! All you need are leaves and paint but we used a special kind that’s even easier for kids with more precision! Check out our full list of materials and instructions below to start creating beautiful nature and leaf prints.
What kind of paint do you need for this leaf print?
To create leaf painting you’ll need paint of course but it doesn’t have to be the traditional acrylic or tempera type of paint you can brush on. On this leaf butterfly we used acrylic paint that’s painted on.
To create this particular rainbow leaf art we used paint markers! We love using paint markers for art projects like painting rocks and wanted to test if they would work well on leaves. The answer is yes!
Paint markers are great for kids if you want to the mess down and have them be a little bit more precise in coloring in the exact lines within a leaf.
We also find the clean up to be much easier, no need to wash paint brushes!
Plus paint markers come in all colors of the rainbow and more these days and anywhere from fine to medium and larger tips depending on your needs and application.
Of course you can also use a paintbrush and paints like acrylic paints if you already have those on hand! Those will work just fine too!
Leaf Painting – Materials:
- Leaves
- Watercolor paper
- Paint markers
How do you create painted leaf art?
First, find some good healthy leaves that won’t break under the pressure of a marker tip which is what paint pens have. Make sure the leaves are whole and don’t have holes or tears.
Next grab some watercolor paper (our favorite for absorbing paint and for the thickness and durability). To make cards, cut out the paper to fit the size of one leaf.
Use your paint markers to paint within the veins of the leaf. Paint on the inside not the outside of leaf.
Turn the leaf onto your paper and press evenly on all edges and areas of the leaf to adhere the paint marker.
Slowly lift and reveal your lovely leaf print! If you find some areas to not be filled in you can add simply add more to the leaf in that area and then align the leaf back onto the paper. OR you can simply use your paint pen and fill in the color right on the card itself.
These leaf cards would make gorgeous handmade cards to to send along with a handmade gift from kids!
Painted Leaf Art
Materials
- Leaves
- Watercolor paper
- Paint markers
Instructions
1. Use your paint markers to paint within the veins of the leaf. Paint on the inside not the outside of leaf.
2. Turn the leaf onto your watercolor paper and press evenly on all edges and areas of the leaf to adhere the paint.
3. Slowly lift and reveal your lovely leaf print!
If you find some areas to not be filled in you can add simply add more to the leaf in that area and then align the leaf back onto the paper. OR you can simply use your paint pen and fill in the color right on the card itself.
Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.