Paper Pulp Pictures Art Project for Kids

A colorful, abstract circular artwork with layers of textured, crumpled paper in various shades and patterns.

This lesson plan is an idea I tried at one of the National Art Education Conferences.  This is such a fun project because it gives you the experience of paper pulp painting, but without the blenders or mess.  One thing I will be sure to remind the kids of next time is to be sure to tear the paper into really small pieces.  The larger pieces fell apart.  We coated these with a modge podge after to secure them completely.  We also read one of Denise Fleming’s books.  She creates her illustrations from paper pulp. I need to add that you should make sure that the tissue paper is NON-BLEED.  If it bleeds, the colors will all run together.  It should say whether it is bleeding.  If it doesn’t say “bleeding” it should be non-bleed. 

Child's hands creating colorful craft on white cloth with a bowl of water nearby on a wooden table, while pictures of paper pulp creations adorn the surroundings.
This is how we set up the tables for the kids.

 

Person creating art with blue tissue paper on a white canvas, with a yellow pen and paper scraps on the table.
Use a canvas cloth underneath as a place for your work.

 

Hands wet-felting colorful wool on fabric, with a container of water and pulp in the background.
Rip up tissue paper in tiny, tiny pieces.  Dip in water and then press very firmly to the canvas.  The goal is to push the fibers of the tissue paper together.  When they dry, they will re-bond.  Do not use large chunks of tissue paper!
A fabric square with a painted blue, green, and white design sits next to a green cup with liquid placed on the table.
After your whole picture is complete, let dry for one or two days.  If there is a lot of water on the picture, you might need to set up a fan to dry more thoroughly.
A child's collage depicting a tree with red paper objects hanging and green grass, made using crumpled paper on a white background.
After the images were dry, we glazed a Mod Podge layer over the top.  I have heard that you can also use a little bit of glue mixed with the water (while you are making the picture).  The Mod Podge allowed the piece to be sealed and secure.
Colorful heart-shaped abstract art with a white letter "B" in the center on a paper-like background.
Then, I hot glued each project to a piece of white foam board for a lovely backing.
A yellow, fluffy textured car with black wheels on a white paper background.
A vibrant, circular artwork featuring concentric rings of colors including black, red, orange, green, blue, and purple. This layered creation has elements that evoke the texture and feel of pulp paper.
A flower-shaped paper with a white center, purple petals, and a blue outline against a plain background.
Colorful abstract art piece with layered, textured patches in blue, red, pink, green, and yellow on a white background.

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  5. Thanks! I love them too! It took about 3 forty-minute class periods, some kids finished faster of course. The drying was a bit of a problem. I had them on the drying rack for about 24 hours and they still hadn't dried!! So, then I aimed a fan directly at them and they dried within a couple hours.