Wax Paper Printmaking - Process Art For Kids | What Can We Do With Paper And Glue

Wax Paper Printmaking- Painting Process Art For Kids. Explore a simple form of printmaking using materials you have on hand. Fun and easy painting activity for preschoolers, kindergartners, or elementary kids.

Wax Paper Printmaking was a really fun painting activity that both of my daughters enjoyed. I'd been wanting to do some sort of printmaking with them, since we've been exploring different types of process art lately. I chose to use wax paper because it was SUPER easy and I had it in my drawer ready to go! You probably have some in your drawers, too, so you have everything that you need to do this fun painting activity today!

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you use these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Click here for my full privacy and disclosure policies.

Gather Materials For Wax Paper Printmaking

wax paper
paintbrushes
children's paint
white copy paper
combs, chopsticks, or other tools for adding texture

Let Your Children Paint The Wax Paper

Begin by giving your child a piece of wax paper. It should be approximately the same size as your white paper. Let them paint!

You may need to encourage your children to use lots of paint. The wax paper doesn't soak up as much moisture as regular paper does, but it does soak up some. You'll need there to be plenty of wet paint for the printing.

Lena immediately started painting words and letters, and I let her experiment to discover that the words would be backwards after making a print! The girls eventually decided to settle on simple pictures, solid colors, or designs like stripes.

Use a comb or other tool to add texture lines.

Stripes, swirls, or circles are all fun choices!

Your children will need to work relatively fast so that the paint doesn't dry!

Make Prints Of Your Painting

When you are happy with the design you've painted, press a sheet of plain white paper over the paint. Press it down firmly over the whole page, but without letting it slide around.

Time for the big reveal! Peel the paper up slowly and check out your print! You can reuse the same sheet of wax paper a few times, adding additional paint or changing the design slightly.

This was such a fun way to spend our morning. One of my favorite things about process art is that it is so easy to just enjoy being together without worrying about a finished product looking "just right." We spent our time painting, printing, laughing, singing, and smiling. Try some Wax Paper Printmaking with your kids today!