Today we have a guest post on the topic of Outdoor Crafting from Nicola Crozier. She is a freelance writer with a particular interest in handmade crafts. {{UPDATE: please make sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post before attempting to do this craft!}}
Crafting doesn’t have to be kept indoors you know!
This summer, why don’t you make the most of the weather and get outside to start your next craft project? There are multitudes of fun crafting activities that are just too messy to even attempt indoors – from crazy paint explosions that your kids will adore, to large-scale art projects that you will enjoy for years to come.
Here is a “how-to” for our favourite messy art installation for you and your children to enjoy this summer-an ART BOMB!
This is crafting at its scientific best! It couldn’t be easier to make a paint bomb – but you’ll need to gather the following materials before you start.
- Several large sheets of plain or coloured paper
Baking SodaA roll of toilet paperSealable sandwich bagsVinegar- Paint – in as many different bright colours as you can find.
- (Editor’s note: or film canisters and alka seltzer- see the further note at the bottom of the post)
Grab some large sheets of paper and lay them on the ground. Next, place one spoonful of baking soda in the centre of some toilet paper, fold it up and place it in the corner of a sealable sandwich bag. Fill a third of a cup with vinegar and mix with a spoon of paint (the brighter, the better) – pour this mixture into the opposite corner of the sandwich bag and seal quickly (!!) Shake your bag slightly and place it onto your paper, then stand back!
Your sandwich bag will inflate and then pop, leaving your masterpiece behind in a wonderful explosion of colour!
Repeat the process with a different shade, overlapping to form whatever pattern you like.
If that isn’t enough to make you want to try outdoor crafts, we don’t know what is! Let us know how your projects go and if you’ve got any suggestions, send them our way.
Editor’s Note: it was brought to my attention recently that the above photo actually came from the Flickr account of Andrew Orr. His text to the photo is as follows:
307/365 – Remember those little pots that you use to get a roll of film in? Ever wondered what to do with them? Today was Science in Norwich at The Forum so we had a family day out to have a look.
One demonstration involved putting a dollop of water colour paint into a film pot along with half an Alka Seltzer. Put the lid on and shake before placing down on its lid onto a sheet of paper. Wait a few moments and BANG!! the pot bursts and the paint splats.
Repeat many times with different colours an you have a work of art. Our children loved this.
It seems as if the author of this article “lifted” the photo in order to meet my requirements for step-out pictures. (The photographer is a professional from England and I don’t know if she asked for permission, purchased rights to do so, or lifted it without permission.) I sincerely apologize or any confusion. I thought that the author had taken the photo herself and had no cause to question it. Again, I apologize and give Andrew Orr full credit for the photo and idea.
Second Update: while the photographer did NOT provide permission to use the photo for this post initially, he has given us his blessing to use the image and the description. Thank you, Andrew!
July 12, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Oh my gosh – I TOTALLY want to try this with a white sheet. Or white t-shirt. This looks like so much fun!
July 13, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Would this work with fabric paint, maybe to make a quilt cover?
July 13, 2012 at 5:55 pm
I’d think so, Alison- as long as you used a fabric ink or paint. Maybe those Color Washes by Adirondack?
July 13, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Liquid or powder paint? Or either?!
July 13, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Try them both and let us know which you like better!
July 13, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Great idea if kids are getting bored of tie-dye. Film canisters are getting rare so we used a few of my daughter used diabetes test strip containers. Boys loved it because things explode and make a mess.
July 14, 2012 at 2:20 am
What are those black circles on your print?
July 14, 2012 at 3:43 pm
I was super excited to try this but was bummed with the results. I attempted it 4 times with no success. First two times it didn’t rupture the bag. Tried again using more baking soda & vinegar. It did pop the bag but with a very disappointing ppppffffftttt and foam instead of a glorious spray of paint. The fourth attempt had the same result. The bag expands and ruptures with a small tear. What are the black rings in your picture? Is that the difference between fizz and KABOOM?
July 14, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I think the black circles are the lids from the film canisters which is another way of creating a bomb.
July 14, 2012 at 5:30 pm
My question too – what ARE those little round thingys that are left on the paper/cloth? Do you pick them off after you are finished, or do you leave them in place? And, after you are finished and have all the colors you want….then what? Do you have to seal it, let it dry, or any other treatments before you can use it? And what do you use it for?
July 14, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Hmmm… I was wondering about those black caps too so I did an image search for the picture. It’s originally from someone’s Flickr page and is done with a totally different craft method (alka seltzer in film canisters). Here’s their original how-to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreworr/5540887648/
July 15, 2012 at 9:16 am
Alicia- thank you so much for bringing this to my attention!!! It seems that the author “lifted” the photo to meet my requirements of step-out photos. I apologize for the confusion, and have amended my post to give proper credit for the photo.
July 15, 2012 at 2:43 pm
A fizzle and a pouring out of foam. BOOOOOO! No cool paint splatters:(
July 15, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Kathy- try the alka seltzer-and-film canister version!
July 18, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Has ANYONE actually had any SUCESS using the plastic resealable bags?
July 18, 2012 at 10:53 pm
I think it’s more of a SPPPPLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUGGGGGGOGHHHGHGHGHGHHG rather than a POP with the bags…..
July 23, 2012 at 12:09 pm
I tried the version with the baggies and had similar results as previous comment-ers. It was fun and I got a cool result, but the amount of vinegar required to fill up the bag with foam watered the paint down sooooo much. I will try the film canister and alka selter version next.
August 6, 2012 at 10:42 am
I have found this method to work well. From your local pharmacy obtain a non-childproof pill bottle approximately 1 and 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 and 3/4 inches high. Put about an inch of vinegar in the bottle. Pour in some poster (tempera) paint. Take a half piece of toilet paper put about a half teaspoon (could be less, you’ll have to experiment) of baking soda. Wrap the toilet paper around the baking soda.
Place the packet of baking soda in the cap. When you place the cap on the bottle, the packet will fall into the paint vinegar mixture. Shake the bottle a little, place it cap down on the paper ala the alka seltzer method. The bottle will pop and splatter the paint. You’ll have to pick the cap off the paper. The cap will also have a soggy piece of toilet paper in it. You’ll have to lift that off as well. Clean the cap and the bottle and do it again.
Hope this helps you.