Kids' Art Projects that Inspire Creativity

With these unique painting tools, kids can give boredom the brush. Easy and inexpensive to make, these tools will add variety to every young artist's repertoire.

Newspaper Brush: Roll three sheets of newspaper into a tubular shape. Create a handle at one end by wrapping it with masking tape, covering about six inches of the newspaper. Use scissors to cut the other end: insert one blade inside the newspaper tube and cut towards the taped end. Repeat until cut end is shredded into one-half inch strips. Shake to separate cut ends of newspaper.

Bead Roller: Cut a two and one-half foot length of heavy wire (such as a clothes hanger). With wire in front of you, horizontally, bend 12 inches toward you to form an "L" shape. String beads (one-half to one inch) onto longer end of wire to make a six-inch long row of beads. Bend remaining 12 inches toward you (avoid bending wire too close to the beads, or they won't spin). Bring both 12 inches ends of wire together to form a handle. Use pliers to twist the wire until it is secure, and then wrap handle with duct tape, covering any rough spots. Provide a tray with a shallow layer of paint for use with the bead roller.

Rubber Band Brush: Bundle about thirty rubber bands together, so that they are all laying in the same direction. Use an additional rubber band to loosely secure them together at one end. Push one end of an unsharpened pencil into the secured end of the rubber bands and continue to tighten. Once pencil "handle " is secure, you can paint immediately, or use scissors to cut looped end of rubber bands. Each will provide a different look on paper.

Sparkle Paints: For each color, mix equal parts flour, water, and salt. Blend in liquid tempera paint until you reach desired color. Pour mixture into a squeeze bottle (a recycled mustard container works well). Have kids create designs or pictures on the cardboard and allow to dry. The salt in the dried paint will sparkle in the light.

Glitter Glue: Pour about one-fourth cup of white glue into a small, sealable plastic bag. Sprinkle in about a tablespoon of glitter (more or less as desired). Add liquid watercolors to create colored glitter glue. Seal the snack bag and blend by working with your hands. Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze to paint.