Painting with Rubber Band Paintbrushes

My kids love to paint and I am always trying to come with new and creative ways for them to explore with paint. I thought it would be fun to make our own paintbrushes using something you probably already have at home. You'll be surprised how easy these paintbrushes are to make, and how much fun we had Painting with Rubber Band Paintbrushes. If you are looking to paint in more unique ways, check out Shape Painting with Mega Bloks.

Painting with Rubber Band Paintbrushes

You will need:

• Rubber bands (we used 14 per brush)
• Rubber bands
• Wooden dowels (ours were 3/16")

I used two types of rubber bands - thicker and thinner - to create a thick brush and a thin brush. I gathered 14 rubber bands and cut them in half.

Then I taped them around one end of a dowel using masking tape. Make sure to do this as close to the edge of the dowel as you can so the rubber bands can bend and move while painting.

I set up an easel with paper, paint and our rubber band brushes.

Since the "bristles" on these brushes are longer and floppier than normal paint brushes, the curves and patterns they leave in paint will be different.

They also hold quite a bit of paint as opposed to a normal brush.

My daughter preferred the patterns made by the thicker rubber bands. I was surprised how easy painting with rubber band paintbrushes was for the kids. I had been concerned that pieces of rubber band would come out as the girls painted, but luckily I secured them tightly so the brushes held up through three kids and multiple paintings.

We decided to try using the brushes in a different way. My daughter dipped her brush in paint and rolled the dowel between her hands to create splatters on the paper. They splatters also got on her clothes and everywhere else, so make sure your child is smocked or in play clothes when painting.

My daughter also tried spinning her brush and dropping it on the paper which made large blots that resembled fireworks.

This Painting with Rubber Band Paintbrushes post is part of a collaboration I did with Growing a Jeweled Rose and Housing a Forest where we shared ways to Paint and Play. Check out their blogs for other fun ways to paint!

Homemade Paint Brushes  

Painting with Monster Hands

If you're looking for more enjoyable activities to do with kids, check out Green Kid Crafts, a monthly craft subscription package for kids that stimulates creativity while fostering a love and respect for the natural world.