Collage Staining with Tissue Paper

Our latest art project was a watercolor-like painting created with tissue paper, watercolor paper, and vinegar.

I came across this post by The Artful Parent, and decided to give it a try.

The children tore pieces of colored tissue paper and collaged them onto their papers. 

Next, we painted over the tissue paper with paintbrushes and clear water.

I let their creations dry a bit, then lifted up the corner of the tissue paper to see if the stain was "bleeding" into the paper.  No such luck.  So, next we repainted over with vinegar, and voila! 

The dye began to bleed into our paper.

The tissue paper soaks up the liquid and stays on the paper, so after you have painted the vinegar over your collage, just set them aside to dry. 

When they are completely dry, gently peel off the tissue paper pieces, and a watercolor-looking design will be left behind!  Our tissue paper collage left very soft colors. 

As always, the process is mostly the fun!  In this case, vinegar makes the process a little stinky, so if it bothers you, you may want to open a window or take the project outside.  I would also recommend using something underneath to protect your tabletop, floor or counter if you are working inside.  The dye that bleeds off the tissue paper can stain if it soaks in to a surface.  I would suggest using watercolor paper for this because it soaks up a lot of the vinegar and the dye, which will produce better finished results and less mess at the same time!

I think we might try this project soon!