Fruit and Vegetable Prints
Use fruits and vegetables to create exciting prints on paper or fabric. Make fun random prints or combine them to create interesting images.
Featured Crafts
Supplies Needed
- Paper or fabric
- Fruits (apples, pears, oranges, bananas, lemons)
- Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, corn, mushrooms, bok choy, brussel sprouts, snow peas, okra)
- Tempera or poster paint (for paper)
- Acrylic paint or fabric paint (for fabric)
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Plastic plates or trays
STEPS
1Gather some fruits and veggies.
Gather fruits and veggies, ideally those that are already past their expiration date. Fruits you can use include apples, pears, oranges, bananas and lemons. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, potatoes, carrots, corn, mushrooms, bok choy, snow peas and okra make wonderful prints. Clean the fruits and vegetables. Wash and wipe them dry.
2Prepare the fruits and veggies.
- Broccoli and cauliflower - separate into individual florets
- Okra - cut into 1 inch long pieces
- Bok choy - trim off the base, save it and use the rest (leaves/stems) for cooking
- Brussel sprouts - cut in half, either crosswise or lengthwise
- Potato - slice into quarters, wedges or cut into specific shapes such as a flower or star
- Carrot - same as potato
- Mushroom - slice button or any round mushrooms in half
- Bell pepper - slice crosswise in half, remove the seeds
- Apples and pears - cut lengthwise in half
- Oranges and lemons - cut crosswise in half
- Banana - cut in half or cut crosswise into 2-inch long pieces
- Corn - cut in half and as an option skewer with a stick to make a handle
3Prepare the paint and paper.
Prepare your paper or fabric. Cut it into the desired size.
Put different colors of paint in shallow plates or containers. Use tempera or poster paint if you are printing on paper. For fabric, go with acrylic paint or fabric paint. Add some water but do not water down too much. Mix well.
4Dip a fruit or veggie in paint.
Dip a fruit or vegetable in one color of paint, making sure that the bottom is evenly-coated with paint.
5Shake off any excess paint.
Lift the fruit or veggie from the paint and gently shake off any dripping or excess paint.
6Press the veggie onto the paper.
Press the painted side of the fruit or vegetable firmly onto the paper or fabric.
7Lift the veggie from the paper.
Lift the fruit or veggie from the paper to check out the colored print. My bok choy print looks just like a rose!
8Make random fruit/veggie prints.
Repeat the process (Steps 4 to 7) using other fruits and vegetables with different colors of paint. Discover the unique prints that each fruit or veggie makes.
Wipe off the paint from a fruit or veggie before dipping it into another color of paint to avoid getting mud-colored prints.
9Create overlapping prints.
Fill the paper or fabric with beautiful overlapping prints. Dip oranges, lemons or apples in various colors and make a collage of gorgeous fruit prints.
Use this idea to decorate aprons, placemats, table cloths, bandanas, shirts, or even summer dresses!
