Image by Jimmie
Potato printing for kids is a fun and simple craft for children of all ages that the whole family can enjoy after school, during the holidays, or on rainy weekends.
Using just a potato and some washable paint, kids can get messy and creative, producing potato prints that really are works of art. Using an object as a stamp is a great way to create pictures that are truly unique, so if hand and foot printing is a firm favourite of your little ones, they’re sure to love potato printing too.
Unsure how to make potato prints? Don’t worry! This simple-to-follow step-by-step guide will have you and your kids making up all sorts of designs in no time:
Potato Printing: A Step-by-Step Guide
Begin by selecting your potatoes. You don’t need anything fancy – regular baking potatoes, King Edwards, or Maris Piper will all work great for this activity.
TIP: Try to choose potatoes in a variety of sizes so your kids can make large and small designs.
Carefully cut your potatoes in half (this is something that is best for adults to do), draw the design into the flat edge of the potato, and cut around the outline with a sharp knife to create your very own potato stamp.
TIP: Metal cookie cutters work great for getting an accurate outline of more complex designs.
Alternatively, cut thick slices of potato and push a cookie cutter all the way through the potato for a smaller stamp – great for getting more from your potato.
TIP: Remember that, as much as the kids want to help out, knives are sharp! Either make sure you do the cutting up yourself, or teach your kids how to use a knife safely and supervise them while they practice chopping.
Use paper towels to blot the potato and absorb any excess moisture, which could stop the washable paint from sticking to the stamp.
TIP: If you’re not in a rush to get started, it’s a good idea to leave your potato to dry out more.
Apply a thin coating of paint to the design on the potato, wiping off any excess or dripping paint. Move the stamp around in the paint to get an even coat.
TIP: Use Persil small & mighty to clean up any paint drips on clothes – it’s great for effectively removing yellow & blue washable paint.
Stamp the paper, card, or fabric (potato printing works on almost anything!) with the painted design and watch how your kids create their very own vegetable artwork.
TIP: Keep the stamp pressed on the paper for a few seconds for best results.
Potato Printing Ideas
When it comes to potato printing, the sky really is the limit! There is so much you can do with a simple potato and some washable paint. If you’re struggling to come up with some ideas, here are some great suggestions to get you on your way:
Instead of buying wrapping paper for gifts, encourage your kids to make their own! All you need is a festive design and some regular white paper. By taping the pages together on the back, you can create wrapping paper that’s as big or as small and you need it to be, and it’ll be completely one-of-a-kind!
Is your home looking a bit bare and in need of a few decorations to brighten up the place? Then bring in the kids! By cutting around a potato printed design, backing it onto some brightly coloured paper or card, and attaching a piece of ribbon to the top, you’ve instantly got yourself a unique decoration that can be hung on the wall, on door handles, or even attached to a key chain!
Why not bring in some other fruits and vegetables, too? Anything that’s quite hard and solid will work brilliantly, and each type of food brings its own unique style. A corn on the cob, for example, can produce an almost animal-print design when painted and rolled across paper –there’s really no limit to what you and your kids can make with fruits, veggies, and a touch of paint!
Now that you know how to potato print beautiful works of art, there’s no need to worry about keeping the kids busy and entertained on a rainy Sunday.
Potato printing is not only fun, but it also encourages your little ones to use their imagination and get creative, and it’s educational too – it’s the perfect opportunity to teach your kids about different vegetables and the importance of healthy eating.
Did you enjoy potato printing? Let us know how you and your kids got on in a comment below.