Bugs & Butterflies Day 5

Supplies:

• Acrylic paint (or finger paint for paper)
• Paint brush
• Straw
• String
• Knife
• Potato
• Canvas pouch

I found the canvas pouch from hobby lobby for $1.69!

Also, if you didn’t want to get the canvas pouch you could do the stamping on paper with finger paints instead!

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I’m convinced that kids enjoy painting so much because of the mess it makes! There’s no getting around it. But I love to see Lucy painting. She’ll make something and say “Aw mom look! pretty!” And it’s my favorite thing ever. The “aw” gets me every time! The fun they have is always worth the mess!

So here are some instructions on how to do this craft! These are the shapes I made. You can make different ones and do different bugs. It’s totally up to you. I made a lady bug, grass, and leaves.

Step 1: Cut a potato in half or in thirds

Step 2: Cut a shape into the top middle of the potato at least 1cm deep.

Step 3: Then cut into the side of the potato and cut around the shape.

Step 4: remove the pieces of the potato you have cut out.

Step 5: Make touch ups! Now it’s easier to sculpt the potato.

Step 6: The final product! You’ve just made your own stamp!

This stamp I made is of a leaf! I actually love the unevenness of it. And the unevenness of all of the other potato stamps. It’s natural and quirky and I love it!

The next one I made was a grass pattern!

Step 1: Cut a potato into a cube.

Step 2: Wrap string around it

Step 3: I used tape to keep the string attached. I placed the tape on the side I wouldn’t be to stamp with.

I made a small circle stamp for the lady bug spots!

Step 1: Insert a straw into the center of the potato.

Step 2: Use the same method as the first potato stamp. Cut into the side of the potato and cut around the straw – making sure you’ve made contact.

Step 3: Remove the pieces of the potato that you’ve cut.

Step 4: You’re left with the perfect little stamp for lady bug spots.

Here is the final product after using all of the stamps on the canvas pouch!

Play around with it! I used the grass stamp to create a patterned background. Then I stamped the lady bug and the leaves. And practice on paper first! You could even use cookie cutters to cut into the middle of the potato too if you wanted! We have mini ones that would have been perfect for this.

This was our final craft for the Bugs & Butterflies summer camp! Lucy and I had lots of fun! I would love to see what you and your kids have made from this week! You can tag me on Instagram at @ sadiecwhitmore or you can email me at withthewhitmores.com ! Thanks for joining!