DIY fingerprint paint pads and bugs

A fun and simple way to explore printmaking projects in your classroom

I love all the different bugs, animals, people, and other designs you can make through the use of fingerprint art and recently, I found a way to make the fingerprint painting process a better experience for the children by making my own DIY fingerprint paint pads…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads

I have tried different kinds of painting pads for printing and even washable ink stamp pads for printing but trying to add just the right amount of paint to my paint pads or keeping the colors of my ink stamp pads from getting all mixed up and mucky has been a challenge…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

So, I decided to try a new type of paint pad. I picked up a few shammies from the Dollar Tree…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

The How-To

Cut a shammy into smaller pieces then get them wet and wring out the water. Next, add a small puddle of paint on top of each piece of shammy and rub it in with your finger or a paint brush. I just used my finger…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

And now you have a paint pad that absorbs the paint just a bit but keeps the paint usable for printmaking. If the paint on the shammy starts to get used up, just add a little more and rub it in again. We didn’t have to add more paint, but it would have been no problem to do so…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

Fingerprint Art Ideas

We used our paint pads for two different projects in preparation for our Mother’s Day Tea party including making place cards for our tables…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

And for decorating our gift bags for our parent gifts. Because the paint doesn’t go onto the paper too thick, the children could go ahead and add their legs or faces or other features to their fingerprints without having to wait for the paint to dry…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

Reusing the Paint Pads

When finished, the pieces of shammy can be rinsed out and set aside to dry for use again or just tossed in the trash if you are in a place where you need a quick paint pad but don’t want to save them when you are done. And mixing the colors on the shammy paint pads can be part of the fun without having to worry about having mucky colors or ruining your expensive ink stamp pads…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

Oh, and we supplied small pieces of damp paper towels for those who preferred to wipe their fingers off between colors but not every child was all that worried about it…

DIY Fingerprint Paint Pads by Teach Preschool

By the way, I have only tried this with the Shammy from the Dollar Tree so it may work differently depending on the kind of shammy you would buy and I haven’t tried adding paint to a dry shammy – only a wet one.

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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