eco-printing
Printables

Easy Fun Eco-Printing Craft for Youth and Up

Here’s a craft that you have probably never done before. Eco-printing is a fun way to make pretty cards and writing paper. The materials involved are simple and can mostly be found in and around your neighbourhood.

eco-printing crafts

My oldest daughter Payton did this one and came up with the idea then helped document the steps here.

Fun Craft With Natural Materials

This Eco-printing activity could be a great craft to do with older kids because it gets them off their screens and outside for a bit. Basically, you just need to go for a walk around the neighbourhood to gather leaves, petals and buds. The more colourful the better. Don’t forget to take a container with you or a bag for the natural specimens you bring home.

Together, we have all been taking a lot of walks around our neighbourhood so we’ve witnessed the changes in the trees and plants this past two months while social distancing. Walks and hikes together are a huge part of maintaining our mental health in my family. Glad we can do that.

eco-printing

Some Tips:

We found that deep greens and purples work best for the colour transfer to the paper. Don’t forget that card stock works better than regular printer paper because it is thicker and absorbs more pigment. The final effect actually kind of makes the card look like you used water colours and it can be very pretty.

Materials Needed:

Random flower petals and leaves, the more colourful the better.

Vinegar

Water

Cardstock paper

Rock, small hammer or even just a heavy tube to roll over top of the plant.

Tape

How to Eco-Print in Ten Easy Steps

  1. Collect flowers and leaves.
  2. Soak them in equal parts vinegar and water for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from vinegar and water solution and dry be sure to pat gently as to not remove pigment.
  4. Tape soaked plants to card stock in whatever patterns you desire. Use light taping so you don’t rip the page. You might consider making the tape less sticky by attaching to your clothing first and then gently adding to the paper.
  5. Once you have taped the plants in your desired arrangement flip over the paper to the plants are against the table or surface on which you are working.
  6. Take a hammer or rocks and gently press on the flowers from the underside of the paper
  7. Continue pressing for about 5 minutes on each plant
  8. Remove tape. The flower or leaf will come off on the tape, but don’t worry about that, because it’s supposed to happen.
  9. Wait for the pigments to dry or else they will smudge
  10. Enjoy your Eco printed paper. Write on it when it’s dry and send or turn into a card.

Eco-Printing Makes Gorgeous Cards

Eco-printing paper is pretty easy and fun to do. Plus, you can be as creative as you want with colours and designs. Next up: I think we will try dandelions too to see how their colours transfer to the paper.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.