Creative Printmaking

Make gifts, t-shirts, wrapping paper, and more using printmaking techniques

Get creative with printing, and I don't mean writing; I am referring to printmaking. Find out how you can use printmaking techniques to create pictures, t-shirts, wrapping paper, and more.

With simple printmaking techniques, you cover one item (usually one with a lot of texture) with thick paint or ink and press it onto another item (such as a piece of paper, t-shirt, etc.) to make a design.

You can use a variety of supplies to print patterns and pictures onto different items. Of course, you can go out and buy yourself an assortment of printmaking supplies; however, I would suggest you start out by using your imagination and objects laying around your house to try your hand at printmaking!

Here is a list of items you can try your hand at printmaking. You should also take some time to look around your home to find other items to try!

• Printmaking Using Balls
  
• Printmaking Using Bubbles
  
• Printmaking Using Cardboard
  
• Printmaking Using Comb
  
• Printmaking Using Cookie Cutters
  
• Printmaking Using Corncobs
  
• Printmaking Using Fingerprints
  
• Printmaking Using Fish
  
• Printmaking Using Footprints
  
• Printmaking Using Fruits
  
• Printmaking Using Handprints
  
• Printmaking Using Leaves
  
• Printmaking Using Sponges
  
• Printmaking Using Toy Cars/Trucks
  
• Printmaking Using Vegetables
  
• Printmaking Using Yarn/String
  

You can set out an assortment of these objects to play around with or just use one or two at a time. It may also be fun to use the same object to make prints using thick and thin paint and compare the differences. You can also experiment with dipping the item you are printing with into paint and also dabbing the paint onto the item to get more precise results.

The fun thing about printmaking is that you can use just about anything! The ideas above will get you started; can you think of any other items you can make prints with?