Process based art is a favorite around here- and the bookmarks we made by painting with beans is a prime example of a process based art experience with a stunning product!
Basically, we took a couple of scoops of mixed beans and put them into a small container.
Then we cover the beans in paint. I like to use squeeze bottles for the children to add the paint. It helps them to build up the muscles in their hands which is important for their fine motor skills. If you are looking for some refillable squeeze bottles, click here for the (affiliate) link to order some of your own: PLASTIC EMPTY TWIST TOP Bottles.
After you have covered the beans in paint, take a moment and mix them up.
Then we place our paper, in this case a piece of hard cardboard into a box. This time around we used a shoe box sized plastic tote. I like to use plastic boxes for these types of projects because they are easy to clean. Here is an (affiliate) link to the type of box we used for this project: Sterilite Storage Box, White Lid with See-Through Base.
Then, you carefully put the lid on the container. If you noticed, we did not tape the paper down. This was intentional as we want to make sure that when we shake the box- the beans will paint both sides of the cardboard/paper.
Then, you get a little bit of a workout! You get to shake the box! We usually stand up, shake, dance, and sing! Art, Music and Muscle Development all at once!
When we are done shaking the beans around, we remove the paper and let it dry before adding the next color. We also scoop out all of the beans and put them back into a small container. We continue with the same steps until we have added as much paint and as many colors as we would like. We are also careful to take our time and give the box a few minutes to dry between colors. (This prevents the colors from mixing).
Our final works of art can be used for a wide range of things! This time around, we turned our art into book marks. We simply added a hole with a punch and a tassel with a few strands of yarn.
If you are looking for some other great process art ideas you might want to check out some of the posts from our archives: (I've chosen to highlight 5- there are many, many more!)
101 Ways to Paint Without a Brush
Pictured Rock Inspired Paintings
Do you have a favorite process based art experience?
I'd love to hear about it!
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