# Homemade Lick-and-Stick Stickers for Story Telling
> Kids draw and paint tiny pictures on card stock squares, then brush the backs with dissolved Jell-O to turn them into homemade stickers. Once the stickers are dry, they dampen them, stick them onto heavy paper and build a scene to tell a story.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-homemade-stickers-for-story-telling/
- Ages: 3–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 20 min, activity 45 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, storytelling, pretend-play, art
- Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Card stock paper, cut into small squares
- 1 sheet Watercolor paper or other heavy paper (background for the story scene)
- Paint brush pens
- Liquid watercolor paints
- 1 tbsp Flavored Jell-O powder or unflavored gelatin
- Hot water (household)
- 1 piece Small bowls for the Jell-O water (household)
- 1 piece Paintbrushes (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)
- 1 piece Sponge, dampened (household)
- Crayons, markers or pencils (optional) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of jell o: Unflavored gelatin (The post says unflavored gelatin or regular flavored Jell-O both work. Unflavored gelatin has no dyes or added color.)
- Instead of card stock: Colored paper (The author's kids wanted to draw on colored paper too, but card stock makes stickers that don't tear.)

## Safety
- An adult handles the hot water and dissolves the Jell-O. Let the mixture cool before kids brush with it.
- Lick-and-stick is how the author's kids used the stickers, but a damp sponge is the safer choice, especially in a group. The stickers are painted with watercolors and markers, which are not food.
- Jell-O water is for brushing, not drinking. Supervise so kids don't sip from the bowls.
- Flavored Jell-O contains food dyes and sugar and can stain. Use unflavored gelatin to avoid the dyes.
- Use one sticker per child for licking if anyone does lick. Don't share stickers that have been licked.

## Before you start
- Cut card stock into small squares, about sticker size.

## Steps
1. Set out the small card stock squares, paint brush pens and liquid watercolors.
2. Draw and paint your own tiny pictures on the squares.
3. Let the pictures dry.
4. Adult: dissolve about 1 tbsp of Jell-O powder in a little hot water in a small bowl, then let it cool.
5. Load a paintbrush with lots of Jell-O water and brush it all over the back of each picture.
6. Lay the pictures backside up and let them dry for about 1 hour.
7. Dampen the back of a sticker with a wet sponge and stick it onto heavy paper.
8. Draw a scene around your stickers and tell your story.

## Tips
- Use just heavy paper like card stock, since you will be brushing it with liquid. My children wanted to draw on colored paper as well, but to make stickers that don't tear, bring out just the card stock.
- Those cut up paper squares were suddenly very unique, and the kids eagerly painted.
- Have the kids load up their brushes so they scoop up lots of the Jell-O mixture.
- Use heavy paper for the story scenes too, since regular white paper will not take water very well.
- Have leftover Jell-O from other projects? We used watermelon and pineapple left over from our tropical fruits rice and summer play dough.
- Be ready for surprising stories! One of my 6 year old's stories was about living alone by herself and visiting daddy and mommy when they are old. What!!!?

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Homemade stickers through this simple art activity to promote artful story telling We have been on a big [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) kick in the last few days. Why not right? Kids art is a big part of our lives and this blog! I personally see the children break into big smiles while creating something, especially with our homemade [**art supplies**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/art-recipe/). Today we share a simple method to make homemade stickers that aid in [**pretend play**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/role-play-2/), art activities and more importantly in great story telling sessions. Materials

- **[Card Stock Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006HXSTC/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Watercolor Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E01U6S/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Paint Brush Pens](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZL0QQ2/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Liquid Watercolor Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SR5R2/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Jell-O](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006311NS8/?tag=blmemo-20)**



I suggest you use just heavy paper like card stock since you will be brushing it with liquid. My children wanted to draw on colored paper as well. But to make stickers that don't tear off just bring out just the card stock paper.

After the supplies are set up, the kids are free to create their own art on tiny papers. Those cut up paper squares were suddently very unique and the kids eagerly painted.



They used both the fabulous **[Paint Brush Pens](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZL0QQ2/?tag=blmemo-20)** and **[Liquid Watercolor Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SR5R2/?tag=blmemo-20)** to make their creations.



Don't you agree that art activities for kids is such a fantastic way to inculcate wonderful skills in children? I mean this art project has everything -- [**fine motor skills development**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/fine-motor-activities/), [**pretend play**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/role-play-2/) skills development, story-telling skills development.



*How to turn the kids art into **Homemade Stickers*** To turn the kids art into stickers, you will need some unflavored gelatin or regular flavored Jell-O. I used flavored Jello. Dissolve about a tablespoon of Jello ( I used watermelon and pineapple from our [**tropical fruits rice**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-tropical-fruits-sensory-rice-recipe/) and [**summer play dough**](https://www.funlittles.com/summer-fruits-playdough-recipe/)). For 1 tbsp of Jello powder I used about 1/5 TBSP of hot water. Once the Jello dissolves in hot water, set out your colorful Jello water and the kids art out for the children to create their own stickers in this wonderful art activity. The kids just loaded up their paint brushes with Jello water making sure they scoop up lots of the Jello mixture in it. Then they brushed all the pictures with the mixture on the backside. We set the pictures to dry backside up for about 1 hour so. Once completely dry kids can simply lick and stick. Mine did that and some were gently dampened with water using a sponge and then stuck.  Use heavy paper to create their stories and scenes since regular white paper will not take water very well.  Here are the completed art from both of them. One of my 6 year old's story is where she is living alone by herself and visiting daddy and mommy when they are old. What!!!? 

More [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) on on our category page

Thanks for reading