# Rolling Pin Yarn Prints
> Wrap rolling pins with yarn, roll them through neon paints, then roll across a big sheet of paper to make bright, stringy prints. This is process art for toddlers and preschoolers, and you get colorful yarn for more art as a bonus.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-rolling-pin-yarn-prints/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 25 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: process-art, fine-motor, color-mixing, gross-motor
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Rolling pins (various sizes) (household)
- Yarn
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (or white glue)
- Neon color paints
- 1 piece Platters or trays for the paint (household)
- 1 sheet Large sheet of paper

## Substitutions
- Instead of glue: White school glue: dip the yarn in it, then wrap it around the pin (No hot glue needed, but the pin takes a day or two to dry before you can use it.)
- Instead of neon paints: Any store-brand neon paints (The author used Target's Kid Made Modern neon paints.)

## Safety
- Adult handles the hot glue gun when wrapping the pins. Hot glue and the gun tip can burn.
- Use kid-safe, washable craft paint and supervise toddlers so paint and yarn don't go in mouths.
- Loose yarn strands are a tangle risk for little ones. Keep spare yarn out of reach and supervise when the yarn comes off the pins.

## Before you start
- Adult: hot glue one end of the yarn to one end of each rolling pin, wrap the yarn tightly in any design, and hot glue the other end (and the middle for extra security). Older kids can help design the wrapping.
- Using the white-glue method instead? Wrap the pins a day or two ahead so the glue can dry.

## Steps
1. Pick up a yarn-wrapped rolling pin.
2. Squirt your favorite neon paints in stripes across a platter.
3. Roll the pin back and forth over the paints to mix them up and coat the yarn.
4. Roll the painted pin across a large sheet of paper to make big prints.
5. Roll through the paint again and keep printing. Look for new colors made by mixing!
6. Try a smaller rolling pin for little prints.
7. Set the prints aside to dry.
8. Adult: take the yarn off the pins to reveal the multi-colored yarn.
9. Use the colored yarn to make more yarn art.

## Tips
- I had rolling pins of various sizes for a reason. The smaller yarn-wrapped pins really helped with fine motor skills.
- Can you spot the green that was created with rolling action over the blue and yellow? Let kids discover color mixing as they roll.
- There is no product to achieve here. It's all about getting favorite colors on the yarn and transferring them to paper. For our toddler it was all about the motion!
- Our paints were Target's 'Kid Made Modern' neon paints, on sale for $2.49.
- A reader who struggled with bubble wrap stamping thought the neon paints make all the difference for clear prints. (from readers)

## FAQ
**Where did you get the neon paints?** From Target. They're the 'Kid Made Modern' brand, and they were on sale for $2.49.
**Do I have to use hot glue?** No. You can dip the yarn in regular white glue and wrap it around the pin instead, but it takes a day or two to dry.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

*Make vibrantly colored prints with rolling pins and yarn. An exciting process art for toddlers.* Welcome to the 4th installment of our easy art projects for kids series we are doing along side many bloggers (listed at the end of the post) *Here are our previous installments:*

- [**Exploring Water colors**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-texture-watercolor-projects/)
- [**Exploring Resist Art**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-cracked-wax-resist-art/)
- [**Exploring Crayons**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-melted-crayon-art-for-easter/)

Today's art activity is revolves around our topic for the week : *Exploring String Art* Materials

- **Rolling Pins**
- **Glue/hot glue**
- **[Yarn](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086SRW9CC/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Neon Color Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FY2O7M6/?tag=blmemo-20) ( we used another store brand neon paints)**

Process There are two ways to wrap your rolling pins with yarn. Since I didn't plan this art activity well ahead of time (!) I resorted to using hot glue. I hot glued one end of the yarn to one end of the rolling pin. I went ahead and tightly wrapped the yarn around the rolling pin and ended up hot gluing the other end of the yarn to the pin. For additional security you can hot glue the middle part as well. Alternatively you can dip the yarn in regular white glue and then wrap it around the rolling pin. It will probably take a day or two for the glue to dry and the pin to be ready for art activities. Get creative with your wrapping design. My 5.5 year year old and I did our wrapping,



When I was about to squirt one paint per platter, my 3 year old suggested we "rainbowfy" our art project { all our [**rainbow activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/rainbow/) here} Not true rainbow, but all her favorite colors were added in intervals.



Then she was more than happy to roll her rolling pins over the vibrant neon paints to first get all her paints mixed up. Then on a large sheet of paper she enjoyed making big and beautiful prints with yarn. The prints were so beautiful and clear and the toddler was in art heaven with this fun process art. It was all about the motion for her!



Big Sister wanted to join in as well and chose her favorite colors. Can you spot the green that was created with rolling action over the blue and yellow?



The she made her gorgeous yarn prints .



There is no product we need to achive in this fun toddler art. It was all about getting their favorite colors on the yarn and transfering them to paper. Juts look at those yarn prints!



I had rolling pins of various sizes for a reason.

S 

The smaller yarn wrapped rollong pins really helped her with her fine motor skills.



Finally our wonderful and colorful process art was completed..I can't get enough of these rolling pins.



That was not all. When I removed the yarn from the pins, I was pleasantly surprised to be left with these gorgeous multi -colored yarn



So we extended the yarn art activity.



Thanks for reading

**Feel free to pin this**

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



Stop by the following blogs for more gorgeous string art activities

[**String Art for Kids Using Styrofoam and Toothpicks**](http://buggyandbuddy.com/string-art-kids-using-styrofoam-toothpicks) from Buggy and Buddy

[**String Art Easter Cross**](http://www.housingaforest.com/string-art-easter-cross/) from Housing A Forest

[**Rubber Band Art**](http://babbledabbledo.com/easy-art-projects-for-kids-rubber-band-art/) from Babble Dabble Doo