If you’re looking for simple and fun art projects for kids, look no further than salt painting flowers. It’s a low-prep art experience your students (and you!) are sure to enjoy.
You don’t need many materials for flower salt painting. In fact, you likely have the materials on-hand already. Setup is a breeze, so the kids can get to creating right away. And it’s incredibly simple to tweak this flower art project so it fits for different themes or interests.
Read below for some tips to make the flower raised salt painting project go as smoothly as possible. But be sure to keep in mind that you can make your own adjustments to this project, too! I’m sure your students will come up with some of their own ideas, as well.
Salt Painting Flowers
Have you ever tried salt painting with the kids? This is basically a flower-themed version of that tried-and-true art project. I love when new spins can be placed on activities we’ve done for ages.
How to Prep the Flower Salt Painting Invitation
First, get a hold of all the materials you need. Here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Salt
- Watercolors
- Glue
- Flower cookie cutters
- Pencils
- Watercolor paper
- Paintbrushes
- Water
Once you have all of the salt painting flowers supplies, get things organized at your art table. This kind of painting is best done on a flat surface, rather than an easel.
Set out a small group’s worth of paper, paintbrushes, and cookie cutters. Place some shallow bowls of water where each child can reach. Have pencils, glue, and watercolors ready to go. And then call your students over individually or in small groups!
How to Create Salt Art Flowers
We used something I consider a truly multi-purpose tool – cookie cutters! Seriously, you can use them for so many things that I’ve lost count at this point. And they’re the key to make the flowers in this art project.
Here’s the simple breakdown of what to do:
- Place a flower cookie cutter on a piece of watercolor paper, placing pressure on it to keep it secure on the paper.
- Use a pencil to trace around the edge of the cookie cutter.
- Trace over the pencil with glue.
- Pour salt over the wet glue and allow to dry. If desired, make multiple flowers on the same page. Just be sure to leave some space between them.
- Once all the glue is completely dry, gently shake off the excess salt. This can be done over a trash can or over a tray to catch the extra.
- Dip a paintbrush in water and choose a watercolor to get started. Then get to the salt painting flowers! Use one color or more than one color as you see fit.
And that’s all there is to it! Be sure to let the flower art dry thoroughly before displaying the salt art.
A Few Flower Salt Art Tips and FAQs
If you’re excited to try salt painting flowers with your students, but you still have some questions, I’ve got you covered below!
What Kind of Salt Do You Use for Salt Painting?
Plain old table salt works well for creating raised salt art flowers. I haven’t tried it with Epsom salt yet, but I imagine that adds a different aspect to the artwork.
What Kind of Paint Can You Use for Salt Painting?
We used a watercolor palette for the salt painting flowers. But that doesn’t mean you have to! I know liquid watercolors work very well, too. In fact, you can switch things up by having the kids use droppers and liquid watercolors to make flowers with your kids.
Acrylic paint is another option to consider. It won’t react with the salt the same way watercolors do, though. Consider watering it down and see if that works for you.
Can I Use Sugar Instead of Salt for Salt Painting?
Of course, we used salt for this project. But if you only have sugar on-hand, I say give it a try! It will be a bit of a different effect than salt, but I’m sure the children will have a blast with it, too. Even better, turn it into a little science experiment! Try salt painting flowers first, and the give sugar painting flowers a go. Have the kids observe and make note of what they see.
What are the Kids Learning while Salt Painting Flowers?
If you’re a regular Fun-A-Day reader, you already know I don’t think you need a reason to make art with kids. Creativity for creativity’s sake is just as important as any other learning goals! That being said, here are some concepts the kids are exploring with salt painting flowers:
- Fine motor skills
- Color identification
- Color theory
- Absorption
- Saturation (and OVER saturation at times!)
- Teamwork (if peers work together on the project)
You can even take some time to discuss what flowers need to grow and flower life cycles. Not too bad for a super simple raised salt flower painting, right?
Keep in mind, you can also create a multitude of other art with this same process. It doesn’t have to just be flowers! Let the kids explore other shapes, freehand drawings, intersecting lines, or even their names! The possibilities are truly endless.
More Flower Art Ideas for Kids
If your students loved salt painting flowers, I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of these flower art projects:
- Coffee Filter Flowers
- Cotton Round Flowers
- Flower Painting with Marshmallows
- Recycled Flower Art
- Cupcake Liner Flowers
Do you have any favorite flower-themed art projects? Be sure to let me know about them in the comments below.
Flower Lesson Plans
Let Preschool Teacher 101 make your teaching life a whole lot easier with fully-developed, done-for-you early childhood resources. And be sure to check out The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers. Members get access to our resources at a steep discount.
The salt painting flowers project would pair well with our flower lesson plans. It’s everything you need for a week (or more!) of flower-themed learning. The plans come with book suggestions, detailed daily lesson plans, a weekly overview, whole group lessons, small group activities, center ideas, and related printables. Click the image below to get yours:
We have even more flower resources ready for you! Click on the images below to learn more about each of the products:
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers, if that’s your preference.
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