Kids love arts and crafts that are unique and messy, and this Shaving Cream Art Project will surely become a favorite. It’s so much fun when you can do a project using common supplies found around the house. The results of this art project are different each time, keeping it from getting boring.
Did you see the word “messy” in the first paragraph? With adults, you could probably create your work of art inside, but with my niece, anything artsy craftsy can turn into a mess. I’m one of those people who doesn’t mind though.
I have friends who despise glitter. I love glitter. You could dump a gallon of it in my living room floor, and I wouldn’t care…..ok maybe not a gallon, but you get the picture!
I love crafting outside, and my niece loves the outdoors so it works out great to do this Shaving Cream Art Project outside. Working on the patio table makes for easy clean up. Any major spills can get sprayed off with the garden hose.
I always give my niece an old t-shirt to wear. It was even long enough to cover her shorts, so we didn’t have to worry about ruining her clothes. We spent most of the day crafting, and the old t-shirt caught it’s share of dye, shaving cream, paint, glitter glue, and ink. If you’re not able to do this outside, cover your work area before you get started.
Supplies needed for this Shaving Cream Art Project
- Cheap Shaving Cream – You want the kind that makes white lather, not the gel or lotion kind. I used Barbesol brand which is inexpensive and easy to find in my area.
- Food Coloring – We used inexpensive liquid food coloring that comes four in a pack from the grocery store. Paste food coloring would probably work, but you will want to thin it with water so that you can drop it a little at a time. You can also use Tim Holtz Distress Ink Reinkers. This will give you a bigger variety of colors. Paint does not work well for this technique.
- A knife, spoon, or spatula used for cake icing. I have a long spatula that’s for icing cakes. It works great, but anything that will spread the shaving cream in a smooth layer is fine.
- A plate, wax paper, or something to spread the shaving cream on. We used wax paper. Since we did this many times, the wax paper was good for quick clean up, so we could start again with new colors. Shaving cream will make newspaper rip, so I don’t recommend it.
- Glossy paper – I had glossy paper for card making. You can also use photo printer paper. This works on non glossy cardstock, but the results are better with glossy paper. Also, make sure the paper is thick. The shaving cream saturates the paper quickly, and will make thin paper wrinkle.
Getting Started
Food coloring will stain, so protect and move anything that you don’t want ruined! Gather your supplies, including twice as many paper towels as you think you need. Baby wipes are also handy for cleaning hands. My glossy paper was in an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. I cut it into 4 pieces. You can use any size you want, but the smaller pieces are easier to handle.
Instructions for Shaving Cream Art Project
- Using the spatula, spread the shaving cream evenly on the wax paper. Cover an area that’s a little big bigger than the size of your paper.
- Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream. You will get different patterns and color combinations depending on how much you use and how close you put the drops.
- Use the spatula to go over the colors, blending them into the shaving cream. You can also use toothpicks to make swirls or other patterns. Make sure you don’t blend them too much or your shaving cream will turn an ugly grayish-brown.
- Put the paper glossy side down onto the shaving cream, making sure that the whole surface touches the shaving cream.
- Lift the paper up. If it’s stuck in the shaving cream, left it from the corner with your fingernail or the spatula. When you lift it, there will be a lot of shaving cream stuck to it. Use a paper towel or an old towel to wipe it, getting off as much of it as you can.
- Let the paper dry. The paper will probably curl, but you can bend it or put something on it to flatten it.
- Use your marbled paper to make cards, bookmarks, or cut it into shapes.
My niece LOVES crafts. This short list of supplies, kept her entertained for almost an hour. She did different color combinations and different amounts of food coloring. She tried different designs using the tip of the spatula and a toothpick, making lines, swirls, and star bursts.
We ran out of time, and the papers were still wet when she had to go home. When she comes over next time, I hope to make bookmarks and cards with the art work that she created.
This Shaving Cream Art Project was so much fun. We will definitely be doing it again. I’m going to order some stamp pad reinkers from Stampin’ Up so we have a wider variety of colors. I can’t wait to play with them! My niece and I will be planning another crafty day soon!
Visit Pillowcase Craft Using Sharpie Markers for another fun activity that I did with my niece.
I can’t wait to try this!