Paint with Potatoes for National Potato Day!

Did you know today was National Potato Day?  There really is a day for everything:)

Celebrate all of the wonderful things you love about potatoes with a quick and easy project - potato paintings!  You don't paint the potatoes, you use them to paint a masterpiece.  You can just cut them in half, or if you feel really creative you can carve out shapes and use them like stamps.  Go crazy!  Love the potato!

This example is fro firstpalette.com

Materials Potatoes Knife Chopping board Paint Shallow plates Sketch paper or fabric

Steps

	1.	Clean the potatoes first. Wash and towel dry.
	2.	Cut the potato into desired shape. a.) One method is to cut the potato in half and carve out the shape at the bottom. You can even make a handle by carving out the top of the potato stamp (refer to bottom photo).
		b.) Another method is to cut the potato into 1-inch thick cross sections then carve the entire cross section into the desired shape. Carve out some facial features or other details if you like. Make wedges or even keep the trimmings for stamping smaller shapes and details.
	3.	Once you have made enough potato stamps, prepare different colors of paint on shallow containers. If you plan to stamp on fabric, use fabric paint, otherwise you can use regular poster paint or acrylic paint.
	4.	Dip a potato stamp in paint, making sure that the bottom is evenly-coated with paint.
	5.	Press the stamp firmly onto the paper or fabric.
	6.	Enjoy stamping using different colors of paint. Here are some fun and creative ideas that you can do: a.) Make fun random shapes This can be a simple yet fun activity for toddlers Make a potato-stamped shirt or apron
		b.) Stamp shapes to form a picture. Use potato wedges and trimmings to make smaller shapes and details.
		c.) For oodles of fun, finger paint the details on your picture. The water bubbles, fish eyes and fins in this underwater picture were all done by finger painting.