How Do You Make Thumb Print Art?
Using a bit of tempera paint, a piece of paper and their thumb, children as young as five can create characters and designs. This is a fun, always individualized craft idea that can be adapted for gifts, wrapping paper, note cards and pictures of all sorts. Here’s what you need to do to make thumb print art. Line your work space with newspaper. Cut the sponge into four squares–if you have more than four colors or more than two children doing the thumb print art with you, use more sponges. Reconstitute the paint in Dixie cups so that it is thinner than you would need it if you were painting. Pour about a tbsp. of paint onto each piece of sponge. Ask each person to put on a smock to protect their clothing from becoming stained by the paints. Pass out scrap paper to use for practice. Demonstrate how to push your thumb flat against one of the paint-soaked pieces of sponge. Show the children how your thumb looks with paint on it. Then push your thumb onto a piece of paper in one firm motio
