Add a personal touch with potato-print wrapping paper
This is a lovely activity to try at Christmas. It helps cut down on waste by recycling unused paper (and don’t forget that used potatoes can go in the compost bin or be planted out to grow again).
It’s also a fun way to get kids involved in making something totally unique, which is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the lucky recipient.
What you will need:
- A large potato, cut in half. (This will make two different shapes. Use more potatoes if you want a range of shapes or to print in different colours.)
- Metal cookie-cutters.
- Individual sheets of plain paper or a roll of parcel paper, cut into sections and flattened out.
- Non-toxic acrylic paints or a selection of ink pads.
- A paint tray or paintbrushes.
How to make Christmas wrapping paper
Step 1
Press the metal cookie-cutter shape into the cut end of the potato, as far as it will go. Leaving the cookie-cutter in the potato, slice around the pattern (an adult may need to do this part). Remove the outer layer of potato and then carefully lift out the cookie-cutter.
Step 2
Leave your potato to dry, or pat dry with a paper towel.
Step 3
Apply paint to your potato shape. This can either be done with a paintbrush or by carefully dipping the potato into a tray containing a thin layer of paint.
Step 4
Press your potato shape directly onto the paper. (Top tip: you might want to practise on scrap paper first to judge how much paint to apply and how hard to press.)
Step 5
Some children may need support when deciding where to put their print stamp. One way of helping a child with vision impairment do this more independently is to use wax craft sticks to section off areas of paper, giving them a tactile indicator of the border for each print.
Step 6
Once you have covered your paper in print stamps, set it aside to dry.
Once dried, you now have your very own custom-made Christmas wrapping paper that you can use to wrap your friends and family’s gifts this Christmas.
Children who are severely sight impaired often enjoy arts and crafts and the sense of achievement that comes from creating something unique and hand made. A child with vision impairment will be able to recognise shapes by feeling the edges of the cookie cutters.
