Marble Painting

Do any of you remember marble painting from back in your preschool days?  I love marble painting.  It's quick, easy, inexpensive... and just as fun for adults as it is for kids.  The finished marble art is beautiful on its own, but you can also use it anywhere you'd use patterned paper.  Here's a quick card I made using a marble painting as the background.  

To make a marble painting, you'll need: marbles, washable paints (I like Crayola), paint cups (mine were once applesauce containers), white paper, low-stick tape, and an empty shoebox.

Put some paint into each paint cup.  If the paint is thick, dilute it with some water.  You'll want the paint to be a bit runny.  Drop a marble in each cup.

Make loops of low-stick tape, then attach a piece of paper to the bottom of the shoebox.  Pick up a marble and drop it in the shoebox.  Pick up the box and wiggle it to make the marble roll around.  When there is no more paint left on the marble, put it back in the paint cup.  Continue with different colors until you are happy with the design.

Here is Trevor's finished paper.

 

Of course, you don't have to drop the marbles in one at a time.  You can put them all in at once if you want.

You could use a larger cardboard box if you wanted to marble paint on a 12x12 sheet of paper.  You could add glitter or a pearlescent powder to the paint for a different look.  You could start with colored paper instead of white.  The possibilities are endless!