How to make your own paint brushes using natural materials

Try a new creative challenge: set down your usual paint brushes and try something different instead! Follow these ideas to make your own paint brushes using natural materials and things you have around the home. 

 

 

How to make your own paint brushes using natural materials

 

Challenge your children to paint without brushes and see what kinds of things they can think of to use instead.

All sorts of things can become paint brushes: things from the garden, kitchen, and craft shelf.

Use a variety of materials to create a set of brushes with different textures and tips.

 

 

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Materials needed

:: twigs

:: clothes pegs/pins

:: yarn

:: selection of items from the home and outdoors – see below for suggestions

 

 

 

How to make paint brushes using natural materials

To make a set of nature brushes, head outdoors to see what materials you can find from your garden, yard, forest or park. Look for leaves, twigs, grasses, flowers, feathers, and seed heads.

Use a small stick as the handle of your paint brush and use string to fasten your flowers and seed heads to the end, to the be the tip of your paint brush.

 

 

 

Flowers on long stems can be used just as they are: dip the flower heads into paint and use them to make prints.

 

 

How to make homemade paint brushes from household materials

You can also find many things around the house that you can use as paintbrushes. See what you can find!

Here are some ideas:

:: potato mashers

:: washing-up sponges

:: nail brushes

:: tooth brushes

:: forks

:: rolling pins

:: cotton buds

:: pompoms

:: bubble blowers

:: combs

:: hair brushes

 

 

 

How to make paint brushes from clothes pegs

Peg smaller items with the end of a clothes peg/pin and use them too.

Try pegging these:

:: folded felt

:: foam

:: fabric

:: bubble wrap

:: tin foil

:: cotton balls

:: curled yarn

:: scrunched plastic wrap