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Puffy Halloween Art

Oct 10, 20135,667 views
Art Projects
Halloween Art Projects : Puffy Halloween Art Save
halloween cat Save
puffy paint process Save
jack o lantern with puffy paint Save
puffy paint bat Save
ghost puffy paint Save
process for halloween art Save

by TurkeyMom in Art Projects

Ages3–7 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Kids squeeze homemade puffy paint inside printed Halloween creatures, such as a cat, bat, ghost or pumpkin, on thick paper or cardboard. An adult then microwaves the art for 10 seconds and the paint puffs up.

⚠️ Safety first

  • An adult runs the microwave. Microwave only for the short time given (10 seconds) and watch the paper or cardboard the whole time.
  • Let the art cool for a moment before kids touch it after microwaving.
  • Do not put anything metallic in the microwave with the art.
  • Homemade paint is not food. Supervise young children, who may get it on their hands and faces and may mouth it.
  • Squeeze-bottle caps can pop off. Check that they are screwed on tightly before handing bottles to kids.

Before the kids arrive

  • Make puffy paint in Halloween colors using the recipe from our Fall Tree Art puffy paint post, and fill one squeeze bottle per color.
  • Print a few Halloween creatures (cat, bat, ghost, pumpkin) on thick paper, or prepare them on cardboard.

Steps

  1. Set out the squeeze bottles of puffy paint, one for each color.

  2. Give each child a printed Halloween creature on thick paper or cardboard.

  3. Squeeze the paint carefully inside the outline of your creature.

  4. Fill in the rest of the figure with other colors.

  5. Add a face or details with a different color.

  6. Adult: pop the cardboard in the microwave for 10 seconds.

  7. Watch the paint puff up and come alive!

  8. Let it cool for a moment, then show off your puffy creature.

Tips

  • Give a younger child a larger figure with fewer details. Older kids tend to fill up their figures carefully and try to do a neater job.from the author
  • My almost 3 year old is all about exploring and getting as much material as she can on paper and on herself, so dress for mess.from the author
  • The kids get really excited every single time we pop the art in the microwave. Close your ears, since the squeals will deafen you!from the author
  • The colors are completely up to you. If the child wants a purple cat, sure why not?from the author

Make it your own

  • Accidental puddle pumpkin: when a cap fell off and the paint poured out into a tiny orange puddle, we puffed it up anyway and got an eerie-looking pumpkin.
  • Make a spooky puffy bat, a ghost, a jack-o'-lantern or a fanged 'spooky cat'.
  • Let kids choose their own non-traditional colors for their creatures.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · October 2013
materials for puffy paint
I made puffy paint in Halloween colors. The colors part is completely up to you. If the child wants a purple cat, sure why not?
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Puffy Halloween Art: the original post

The kids enjoyed this fun Halloween art project with some homemade puffy paint! The recipe and the entire process is endlessly fun for kids- I mean “squeal-worthy” fun. The kids get really excited every single time we pop the art in the microwave. If you are new to homemade puffy paint, you can get the recipe from our previous puffy paint post. Art activities for kids are somewhat of a common occurrence around these parts and since it is October we want to do more Halloween art projects - our previous one being our easy spider web art for kids. I made puffy paint in Halloween colors. The colors part is completely up to you. If the child wants a purple cat, sure why not? materials for puffy paint I printed out a few Halloween creatures and the kids got to work. They are so used to the homemade puffy paint art projects.

process for halloween art

My preschooler taking care to squeeze out the paint inside her “Halloween Cat” This Halloween art project really helps the child with her/his fine motor skills. Older kids tend to fill up their figures nice and carefully and would try to do a neater job. My older child is very meticulous and thorough when it comes to art projects. My almost 3 year old is all about exploring and getting as much material as she can get on paper and on her self. You can see the difference in their ages very clearly through their squeezing mechanisms. For that reason it is better to have a younger child do a larger figure with fewer details.

puffy paint process

While painting our pumpkin the cap fell off from the squeeze bottles and all the puffy paint poured out and made a tiny orange puddle! We puffed it up in the microwave like that and got an eerie looking pumpkin. jack o lantern with puffy paint Spooky puffy bat always makes an appearance in our Halloween art projects.

puffy paint bat

Ghostie made by my 3 year old. ghost puffy paint And the famous “spooky cat” by the older one. Check out the cat’s fangs!

halloween cat

The process:

  • Make puffy paint following this recipe
  • Create a fun Halloween art project
  • Use a thick paper or cardboard to create your art
  • Pop the cardboard in the microwave for 10 seconds
  • Watch the paint puff up and come alive
  • Close your ears since the squeals will deafen you!

Thanks for reading

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