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Rolling Pin Yarn Prints

Apr 6, 201495,808 views
Art Projects
Art Activities for kids : Rolling Pin Yarn Prints Save
colored yarn prints Save
art activities for kids with yarn and color Save
art activities for kids with rolling yarn Save
process art for toddlers rolling paint Save
process art for toddlers with yarn and rolling pin Save
rainbow yarn Save

by TurkeyMom in Art Projects

Ages2–6 yrs
Prep25 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessHigh
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

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.

⚠️ Safety first

  • 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 the kids arrive

  • 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.from the author
  • Can you spot the green that was created with rolling action over the blue and yellow? Let kids discover color mixing as they roll.from the author
  • 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!from the author
  • Our paints were Target's 'Kid Made Modern' neon paints, on sale for $2.49.from the author
  • A reader who struggled with bubble wrap stamping thought the neon paints make all the difference for clear prints.from readers

Make it your own

  • "Rainbowfy" it: squirt several colors in intervals on one platter instead of one paint per platter.
  • Get creative with your wrapping design: tight spirals, crisscrosses or loose loops all print differently.
  • Save the paint-dyed yarn from the pins and use it for another yarn art activity.

Questions readers asked

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 story behind it

By TurkeyMom · April 2014
materials need for yarn printing
I hot glued one end of the yarn to the rolling pin, tightly wrapped the yarn around it and hot glued the other end. My 5.5 year old and I did our wrapping.
1 / 10

Rolling Pin Yarn Prints: the original post

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:

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

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,

materials need for yarn printing

When I was about to squirt one paint per platter, my 3 year old suggested we “rainbowfy” our art project { all our rainbow activities here} Not true rainbow, but all her favorite colors were added in intervals.

rainbow string art

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!

art activities for kids with yarn and color

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?

orange colored yarn printing

The she made her gorgeous yarn prints .

art activities for kids with rolling yarn

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!

process art for toddlers with yarn and rolling pin

I had rolling pins of various sizes for a reason.

S process art for toddlers rolling paint

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

art activities for kids with rolling paint dipped yarn

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

colored yarn prints

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

result beautiful yarn

So we extended the yarn art activity.

rainbow yarn

Thanks for reading

Feel free to pin this

Art activities for kids on our category page

Printmaking Rainbow Yarn Art 4th installment in our ART SERIES hosted by multiple blogs.

Stop by the following blogs for more gorgeous string art activities

String Art for Kids Using Styrofoam and Toothpicks from Buggy and Buddy

String Art Easter Cross from Housing A Forest

Rubber Band Art from Babble Dabble Doo

What readers say

💬 3 comments ✍️ 1 answered by the author

Answered by the author

“Where did you get those stunning neon paints?” · JayNine

Author From Target: the newer "Kid Made Modern" brand. They were on sale for $2.49.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Neon paint makes the prints pop

A reader whose bubble wrap stamping never turned out well suspects paint choice was the problem, and thinks neon paints make all the difference.

“We haven't ever had much luck with bubble wrap stamping in past--by the looks of it, it's because of the paint choice.”
JayNine, May 2014

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 3 comments

  1. JayNine · May 2014

    Where did you score these stunning neon paints?!!!??!! (They look like an IKEA special I've seen recently)? ... I'd love to know so our turn out is similar. We haven't ever had much luck with bubble wrap stamping in past--by the looks of it, it's because of the paint choice. The neons seem to make all the difference!

  2. TurkeyMomAuthor · May 2014 · replying to JayNine

    Those are from Target- the newer "Kid Made Modern" brand. The paints were on sale for $2.49!!

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