Fun Littles

Fun and easy kids activities

Fold and Dye Tissue Art

Feb 18, 201428,199 views
Art Projects
Ages4–8 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Fold a paper dinner napkin into a small triangle, dip its edges in liquid watercolors, and gently unfold it to reveal a colorful shibori-style pattern. Every fold, napkin size and dip gives a different design.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Liquid watercolors and undiluted food color can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. Cover the table and wear old clothes or smocks.
  • Supervise so kids don't put the dyes or wet tissue in their mouths.
  • If you cut folded strips, an adult supervises scissor use.

Before the kids arrive

  • Cover the table and pour a little of each liquid watercolor into its own small bowl.

Steps

  1. Set out the napkins and the bowls of liquid watercolor.

  2. Fold a napkin back and forth, accordion style, into a long strip.

  3. Fold the end of the strip into a triangle. Keep turning the strip over and folding so you always have a triangle.

  4. If the tissue keeps opening, wrap rubber bands around the edges.

  5. Dip each of the 3 edges of the triangle into a color. Let the tissue gently suck up the color without drenching it.

  6. Lift the triangle out and look at the colors soaking in.

  7. Gently open the wet tissue to reveal your design.

  8. Lay the tissue flat to dry.

  9. Tape the dry art to a window or wall, or pop it in a frame.

Tips

  • Gently let the tissue suck up the watercolors. Too much liquid just drenches the tissue without much of a design.from the author
  • The design depends on the type of folding, the size of the tissue and the amount of color, so every piece is unique.from the author
  • Ideally you wait after dipping, but with young children (and an even more impatient mother) we opened ours right away with so much excitement.from the author
  • The folding is a fine motor workout. An adult can help younger kids with the accordion folds.from the author
  • They look gorgeous against the sun, so try them as sun catchers.from the author
  • Cut the dyed tissue into ovals (or dip in oval shapes) for eggs, have kids weave a paper basket and add Easter grass for Easter art.from readers

Make it your own

  • Skip the accordion and use regular triangle folding.
  • Cut an accordion-folded strip in half before dipping for a pattern that looks like paper chain dolls.
  • Hang them in a sunny window as sun catchers.
  • Frame them as kid-made wall art.
  • Cut the dyed tissue into eggs, flowers or shamrocks for spring and Easter art.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · February 2014
materials for shibori art
For this fold, dip and dye art project you need Sargent Art Watercolor Magic or undiluted food colors, and high-quality colored and white dinner napkins.
1 / 10

Fold and Dye Tissue Art: the original post

Have you heard of Shibori Art? Well I hadn’t heard of that particular name although I was familiar with the actual technique- the process of dip dyeing. Then I came across this awesome arts and crafts book in the library which has so many wonderful art activities for kids. One such project was this fold, dip and dye art project. I also came across a similar post on Things to make and do. Materials

materials for shibori art

I helped my 5 year old fold the tissue accordion style { Fine motor workout} Once we got a long strip paper, we started folding the edge into a triangle. Continue folding by turning over the strip making sure you always are left with a triangle.

making tissue traingles

If you feel you need more security for the tissue, you can always add rubber bands around the edges to keep the tissue from opening. Then it is DIPPING time. We dipped the 3 edges of the tissue paper with our super vibrant liquid watercolors.

FOLD AND DYE ART

Based on the amount of liquid water colors you let the paper suck in, you will see various designs. I’d strongly suggest just gently letting the tissue suck the water colors since too much liquid watercolors just drenches the tissue without much of a design.

dipped traingle for art project

Ideally people wait after dipping and dying. Since we are working with young children ( and an even more impatient mother) we opened our tissue paper with so much excitement. Gently open the wet tissue paper to reveal your design!

opening the folded tissue paper -colorful art

Tada! The design will be so unique.

drip art tissue paper

You don’t have to do the same accordion style folding. We did regular triangle folding.

triangle folding

Based on the type of folding, size of the tissue paper, amount of water colors we were left with stunning pieces of colorful art on tissue. This art activity was a lot different than many other art activities for kids we do around here.

art project for kids with tissue paper

colorful art with tissue

This one in particular was done by cutting an accordion folded strip into half. Looks like paper chain dolls?

tissue paper art activities

tissue paper art project

all colorful art projects with tissue

They look gorgeous against the sun.. This shot gave me an idea for a sun catcher craft!

fold dip dye art project for kids

They also looks awesome as wall art. I just need to pop these beauties in frames and I’d have kid-made wall art for our home.

wall art tissue paper

Fold and Dye Art Project

NOW for the big announcement!

I’m so excited to be a part of an amazing collaborative effort - Introducing the Rockin’ Art Moms (RAMs). We are 10 bloggers who are very passionate about art, design, art for kids, art for the entire family art in everyday lives and art education. Phew! that was a whole of art in one sentence. We love art and we believe art should play a big role during a child’s early years.

Here are the fabulous ladies I’ll be working with.

Stephanie from Two-daloo

Ana from Babble Dabble Do

Meri from Meri Cherry Blog

Jeanette from Artchoo and Tiny Rotten Peanuts

Asia from Fun At Home With Kids

Kristen from Art History Mom

Gina from Willow Day

Bar from Art Bar

Melissa from Green Owl Art

rocking art moms

What readers say

💬 3 comments ✍️ 1 answered by the author

✨ Readers' twist

Turn them into Easter eggs

A reader plans to cut or dip the tissue into ovals as eggs, with a woven paper basket and Easter grass. TurkeyMom hopes to make flowers, shamrocks and eggs too.

“I am thinking to either cut into ovals or dip with oval shape and use them as eggs.”
LeeAnn Veinotte, Feb 2014

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 3 comments
  1. LeeAnn Veinotte · Feb 2014

    I love these, I am thinking to either cut into ovals or dip with oval shape and use them as eggs. The children can weave a basket out of paper (great hands on) add some Easter grass and have beautiful Easter art!

  2. TurkeyMomAuthor · Feb 2014 · replying to LeeAnn Veinotte

    Yes we are hoping to do the same- flowers, shamrocks and eggs!

Similar activities

🛒 Materials