MATERIALS:

Reused paper from mailed packages or paper bags or tissue paper

Any items with interesting shapes that you can paint, i.e. sponges

Idaho potatoes

A bunch of celery

Carrots (carrots may be too hard to carve designs but can be used to stamp circles)

Acrylic paints

Paint brushes

Butter knife

Cookie cutters

VARIATIONS (use alone or with the celery, carrots and potatoes):

Rubber stamps

Ink for rubber stamps

NOTE*

The veggie prints (above) were done with a sweet potato and poster paints applied with a brush directly on the potato surface.

 PROJECT:

1. Cut off bottom of celery. Paint the bottom of the stalk with acrylic paint and stamp it on the paper. To use more than one color, wash off the celery and start over.
2. Slice the carrot into discs. Carrots are suitable for stamping circular designs.
3. Peel and cut a potato in large discs. Use cookie cutters to make shapes on the potato or make your own shapes.
4. Paint these “stamps” (using and odd number of colors like 3 or 5) and stamp them on the paper in a pleasing pattern.
5. Use rubber stamps together with the veggies or alone to form patterns.
6. Allow the ink and/or acrylic paint to dry before wrapping gifts.