Easy Relief Printmaking | FreshlyPlanted
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Easy Relief Printmaking

This is a bit of a flashback. These pictures have been hiding on my computer for about a year now. These simple prints graced the covers of Isia's thank you's for her fourth birthday- and she just turned five. So sometimes it takes awhile for our final projects to get posted on here, but that doesn't make this project any less fun (smile). It was a favorite with my middle school kids, and Isia- who was still a preschooler- loved it too!

Easy Relief Printmaking
Start with cutting the edges of a styrofoam tray, like this one that held broccoli. 

Easy Relief Printmaking
Trace a similar-sized drawing onto your styrofoam using a ball-point pen. Once it's traced, go over your lines one more time to make sure they're nice and deep. The deeper they are, the easier your picture will be to see!
Easy Relief Printmaking
Roll a smidge of printing ink onto a printing plate. We use small piece of plexiglass (left over from one of my art projects), but any non-porous surface would do like a linoleum tile, a non-food tray, etc. 

Easy Relief Printmaking
Then roll your ink onto your plate, making sure it's covered in a even, thin layer. 

Easy Relief Printmaking
Then make your prints! First, place your printing plate (the fancy art term for your styrofoam tray) ink-side down on your paper. Carefully turn it over and rub the backside of your paper with the back of a wooden spoon (or something else hard). Turn it back over, lift up your plate and voila! Now get ready to print again, sometimes you can get a few prints before it needs a re-inking. These prints were made on computer paper, but we've also printed on folded cardstock (for quick cards), rice papers, and other art papers too. You can even print on newspaper! It won't be archival, but it'll be just as fun.  


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Cassidy Sevier

Cassidy used to teach in the city, now she homeschools three active kids in the woods. She spends her days reading aloud, crafting, getting lost in nature, and refilling her teapot. Her best parenting advice: You should never give kids more water or glitter than you're willing to clean up! Read more about their learning adventures at Freshly Planted.com

6 comments:

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    1. Thank you Cherine! We had a lot of fun.

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  2. I remember doing this as a kid...forgot all about it. So glad you shared it so I can do it with my daughter! if you have a chance stop by my blog http://www.liverandomlysimple.com and say hi :)

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    1. Yay, so glad that it was a happy reminder for you! Off to check out your blog now :)

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  3. What a fantastic project! I love that it was a mother/daughter activity! It's being featured at this week's link party! So glad I discovered your lovely corner of blogland. http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2014/09/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-106.html

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    1. Thank you for the feature, Jennifer! And I'm so glad you found my bloggy corner too, it's definitely one of my happy places :)

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