Easy Mess Free Painting Projects
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I’m not sure who was more excited about this review – me or my kids! We recently received the Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors from The Pencil Grip, Inc. to check out. Thin Stix were a product I was not familiar with before this review, but I’m pretty sure my house will never be without them again.
Thin Stix are perfect for mess free painting because they are solid tempera paint sticks. I didn’t even know that was a thing! I was skeptical of the claim that Thin Stix are mess free, but they really don’t leave a mess. Hannah and Ben used them for weeks and there is not a single smudge of paint anywhere in my house.
Reasons to add Thin Stix to your art supply closet
Bold colors – We opened up the box as soon as it arrived in the mail. Hannah and Ben grabbed a few pieces of computer paper and started drawing. The colors were amazing! The paint was incredibly vibrant.
Mess free – The Thin Stix paint dries in just 90 seconds. By the time you have replaced the cap, your paint is dry. Thin Stix also do not splatter, so the paint stays where you put it.
No painting accessories required – You do not need the usual painting paraphernalia – brushes, cups of water, newspaper for the table, and paint smocks. All you need are the Thin Stix and your painting surface.
Can be used on multiple surfaces – You can use Thin Stix on anything that you would use regular tempera paint. We painted sheets of printer paper, real art paper, and canvases. They worked perfectly every time.
Transportable – These paint sticks are the perfect addition to your bag because they are small and mess free. I brought these to our co-op so Hannah could create some artwork while Ben was in class.
Non-toxic – Thin Stix are non-toxic, so they are safe for even the youngest of artists.
Thin Stix Projects
We had a lot of fun coming up with projects using the Thin Stix! They work on a variety of surfaces, so you can be creative.
Create Custom Magnets
I never seem to have enough magnets for my refrigerator. Thankfully, it is really easy to make your own. All you need to make your own custom magnets is magnetic business cards, paper, scissors, and Thin Stix. Start by cutting your paper to the size of the magnetic business card. Then carefully stick the paper to the sticky part of the magnet. Now you can paint anything you want. We made a few flower designs to adorn our fridge, but the possibilities are endless. These magnets would be a fun addition to a preschool calendar activity. Each day your child could select the magnet that matches that day’s weather – sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy.
Fashion a Canvas Gallery Wall
My children have painted canvases for me from the time they were toddlers. I display them as a gallery wall in my hallway. It makes me happy every time I walk past their artwork. Thin Stix make it easier than ever to paint on canvas. I just put two blank canvases and a box of Thin Stix on our dining room table and told Hannah and Ben they could paint whenever the inspiration struck. Over the course of a few hours they drifted over to the table and painted their pictures (a waterfall and a money tree – I bet you can guess who painted each work of art). There were no paint brushes to wash, no drips and splatters to clean up, and no wet canvases to put up to dry. The canvases were able to be hung on the wall immediately. The only difficulty was that the paint dries so fast that it doesn’t blend well.
Paint a Backyard Landscape
Sometimes it is hard to think of something creative to paint. When that happens we paint landscapes. I put large pieces of drawing paper on giant clipboards, gave Hannah and Ben a box of Thin Stix, and sent them out to the backyard to paint. They were able to balance the clipboards on their laps because we didn’t have to worry about paint dripping onto their clothing. I want to throw Thin Stix and a sketchbook in a backpack the next time we go hiking. We have plenty of beautiful waterfalls and lush forests in Washington and I would love to have my children’s renditions of these natural beauties. The paint dries quickly so I won’t need to worry about packing up wet paintings.
You can find Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors on Amazon and at ToysRUs.
Spoiler alert, but I’m planning to give these a set of Thin Stix to pretty much all the children I know on their next birthday or Christmas.
Check out The Pencil Grip, Inc. online!
Be sure to click below and see other awesome Thin Stix projects!
