Beating Summer Boredom: Marbled Paper

Otherwise known as How to Entertain Your Kids for Under $3.  Before summer arrived, I had amassed a very full folder of craft ideas, activities and the like to keep Nick busy throughout the summer.  Anything to beat the cries of boredom.  Most are very inexpensive activities, often times using items you likely already have on hand.  Some are more creative-based.  Some require the thinking side of his brain.  All are just plain fun.  Today it was all about making pretty marbled paper.

I ripped this idea out of a recent issue of Family Fun magazine.  All you need is a baking sheet, food coloring, shaving cream and some card stock.  I purchased two cans of shaving cream at the dollar store (and after doing about six sheets, we still have a can and a half leftover), and got a stack of card stock sheets from Michael’s scrapbooking section.  They were 39 cents a sheet, and this week, they’re all 30% off.  Even better.

What kid doesn’t like to play with shaving cream?  Especially when it’s with permission.  This afternoon, once the lunch plates were cleared, the kids (yes, even Madeline) got busy on creating the pretty marbled paper with their babysitter.  It could not be easier to make and they had a blast doing it.  With all the swirly shapes and colors, no two pieces of paper are the same, and you can go crazy with unique color combinations. They don’t know it yet, but tomorrow, they’re going to make some pink pieces for me to hang in my office.   I know this doesn’t surprise you.

Now, what to do with the paper once you’re done?  Although, surprisingly, the magazine didn’t make any suggestions, there are tons of possibilities.  We’re going to cut the paper to fit in some black frames I bought to make one-of-a-kind artwork.  How about a bookmark or two?  A colorful mat for a framed picture?  Laminate it and make placemats for everyone in the family?  Gift tags?  Book covers? The possibilities are endless, only limited by your imagination.  Have fun!

P.S.  Miss our first entry for Beating Summer Boredom?  You can find it right here.

What you need:

• baking sheet with rim
• shaving cream
• squeegee
• liquid food coloring
• craft stick or toothpick
• card stock

Cover the baking sheet with a half-inch layer of shaving cream.  Smooth it with the squeegee (we just used a spatula).  Dot the cream with drops of food coloring, then use a craft stick or toothpick to swirl it in the cream.  Lay a sheet of card stock on top of the cream and press lightly.  Peel off the paper and use the squeegee to remove the excess shaving cream.  Set the paper aside to dry.  Try making a second, lighter print, or start over with a fresh layer of cream on the baking sheet.

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