stamping with children part 2: pattern design

I was inspired to try to create an easy pattern block by Lena Corwin's, Printing by Hand, one of my favorite resources. I haven't done the adult version yet, but I'm loving doing it with children. It was the perfect lesson in pattern design for both my daughter and myself. We started with pre-cut shapes. When the idea was firmly grasped, my daughter jumped in and cut her own shapes.

Need:

- inexpensive foam stencil roller
- cookie sheet
- poster paints
- foam stickers
- thin wooden scrap board (available at craft store)
- large sheet of paper
for making your own:
- foam craft sheet
- glue gun

Make:

1. Arrange your shapes on board.

2. Squeeze a line of paint on cookie sheet.
3. Run roller through paint until evenly coated.


4. Roll paint over raised surface of stickers (may need to help your child, especially the first time) until completely coated.
5. Carefully (we talked about using both hands) turn block onto paper.


6. Press with palms of hands around the entire surface, being careful not to dislodge from original spot. Poster paint (we used Melissa and Doug's) tends to stick to the paper and keeps it from shifting, unlike stamp pad ink.This makes for little smearing and happy artists!
7. Gently peel block away from paper.
8. Repeat.

To create her own shapes, my daughter cut out designs she had drawn directly onto a foam sheet.

After she arranged them on her wood block, I hot glued them into place.

We're happy stampers!