STEAMwork | nature spotlight
make plant paint brushes
let's get started!
Make your own eco-friendly paintbrushes at home using materials gathered from your surroundings in this STEAMwork nature spotlight. Play with textures, patterns, and widths, and show us your beautiful works of art, dreamers!
ideas for foraged supplies
Go out on a walk in your neighborhood and pick things that you can reach from the sidewalk.
Head to a nearby park and scour the grass, trees, and bushes for paintbrush-worthy finds.
Use food scraps, like unwanted fruit or vegetable peels or skins (onion skins and carrots peels, oh my!) or discarded leaves (strawberry tops and outer lettuce leaves are great examples!).
additional resources
Want to see how an animal hair bristle paintbrush is made? Check out this video of the handmade process!
more STEAM learning
podcast
STEAM Daydream with National Children's Museum, a podcast that elevates children’s voices and answers their biggest questions.