How to Make Vegetable and Fruit Relief Prints

Read all of the steps before starting.

Step 1: Group Preparation

If you plan to do vegetable and fruit printing with a group of children, be sure to have a potato and paper for each child. Other tools and materials can be shared.

Cut sheets of construction paper to 9 inch by 6 inch pieces—half of a 9 inch by 12 inch sheet or a quarter of a 12 inch by 18 inch sheet. All colors of construction paper work well.

Pre-cut the vegetables and fruits for very small children.

Step 2: Cut potato

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Cut a potato in half and cut a design into the flat surface. (Other firm vegetables also work well -- turnip, jicama, sweet potato.) Kids, get help using the knife!

Start with something simple like a few straight lines. Use the paring knife to cut a V-shaped trench for each line.

Another option is to press a cookie cutter into the potato. Use the knife to cut the potato away from around the cookie cutter.

For more detailed designs,

• Outline design with point of knife cutting about 1/4" ( .5cm) deep.
• For areas near the edge, undercut from the side to the outline.
• For middle spaces, cut away the piece with two angle cuts. Or use the end of a potato peeler to scoop out areas.

Step 3: Cut other vegetables and fruits (optional)

Cut a vegetable or fruit to reveal an interesting shape or texture.

• Cut a jalapeno pepper in half to see a triangle inside of a circle. Use a pin or needle to remove the seeds. Careful, don't touch your eyes.
• Cut an apple in half horizontally to reveal seeds in a star shape. Use a pin or needle to remove the seeds and cut a design, if desired.
• Cut an okra in half for an interesting flower-like design. Remove a few seeds with a pin or needle.
• A wedge of cabbage makes an interesting design.
• Cut an onion in half to print concentric circles.
• Cut a celery stalk to make crescent-shaped prints.

Step 4: Sponge stamp pad

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Make your own sponge stamp pad. Dampen an unused sponge and squeeze out any excess water. Place the sponge on a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil, or place it on a large plastic lid. Brush paint on the sponge — saturate the sponge with paint. Use this sponge stamp pad like a regular stamp pad. Brush on more paint, as needed. When done with the pad, wash it out with water and a little liquid soap. Let it dry and use it again the next time you do vegetable printing.

Step 5: Load with paint

Press the cut potato on the sponge stamp pad. Try to get an even coating of paint.

Step 6: Make prints

Press the potato on paper with even pressure. Hold the paper down as you lift the potato from the paper. You can use the potato two or more times before reloading with paint.

• To print a patterned design, use a pencil to lightly mark a grid on the paper. Erase the pencil marks after the paint is completely dry.
• Use two or more colors to print your design. Wash the potato with water between colors.
• You can even print a picture with potato stamps. Cut some simple shapes like squares, circles, and triangles in a variety of sizes. Use these shapes to make a picture of a tree, a house, a car, or whatever you want.