Wax Resist Christmas Cards for Kids
Wax Resist Christmas Cards: have the kids make their own Christmas cards this season with this fun and fascinating art process!
If you’re like me, you have your kids doing all kinds of arts and crafts for Christmas right about now.
Aside from the TONS of Christmas ornaments the kids make here, we also like to make homemade Christmas cards to give to family and friends.
One of our favourite techniques for making cards is a process called Wax Resist.
What is Wax Resist?
Wax Resist is a simple process also known as “crayon resist” or “paint resist”.
How it works is: you draw a picture with a waxy product like crayons or a candle, or an oil based product like pastels, and when you brush a layer of water-based paint (watercolours or tempera paints) over your drawing, the paint “resists” the wax, leaving that part of the picture uncoloured.
It’s really a fun painting technique. The kids think it’s quite magical.
You could actually do these cards in a number of ways.
- You could draw the picture/greeting yourself, and have the kids do painting to reveal the surprise.
- Your kids make the cards from start to finish, doing the crayon and the painting steps.
- The person giving the card can do the crayon step, and the person receiving the card can do the paint reveal.
I love using this art technique in my daycare because the supply list is short and simple, and kids of all ages can do this project.
Let’s get started!
How to Make Wax Resist Christmas Cards
Supplies:
How to make your cards
Fold a piece of card stock in half to make your card.
With the white crayon, have your child draw a picture or pen a greeting across the front of the card. Make sure your child presses hard enough with the crayon to leave a solid waxy coating on the paper.
Now, dip a paint brush into your watercolour paints, and brush it across the drawing or message.
You can use all one colour, or you can work in blocks of different colours, painting just a bit at a time with each colour like I did here.
Isn’t it cool? The kids just love the big reveal.
And we ended up with a super, little collection of cards to give to parents and friends.
Wax resist would be a super process to use if you make your own gift cards too!
If you’re looking for another fun homemade card idea, Rainy Day Mum will show you how to upcycle your old magazines into kid-made Christmas cards this seaon!
More Homemade Christmas Cards For Kids to Make
Doily Christmas Tree Cards
Scratch Art Christmas Cards
Footprint Reindeer Christmas Card
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
