Create a canvas of color with this popular tissue paper painting activity! You may have also heard this method referred to as bleeding tissue paper art or tissue paper transfer art. We’ve created a fun craft pack that combines crayon resist with tissue paper art. View the step by step tutorial below.
Tissue Paper Art Made Easy
Our exclusive Tissue Paper Painting Easy Pack makes it convenient for your group to create with this innovative painting technique! Our easy pack comes with enough supplies to make at least 36 pieces of art, so it’s great for larger groups. The pack includes 5” x 7” watercolor paper panels, a pack of pre-cut 2500 bleeding art tissue squares 1.5″ in 25 assorted colors, 3 spray bottles, white crayons for creating resist patterns, and an idea guide. These are all packed in a convenient, portable storage box!
We also listed out the materials below if you don’t have the easy pack:
Shop Individual Materials for this Project
Video Tutorial:
Instructions:
- Choose whether you’d like to use the crayon resist for your project. If so, first you will draw a design (words, patterns, etc) with white crayon on the watercolor panel. This design will show up after you apply the squares. NOTE: Because you are drawing white on white, your drawing won’t be visible until the final step.
- Pre-wet the watercolor panel by spraying it with a spray bottle filled with water. You can also choose to use a paintbrush if you’d like.
- Apply the tissue paper squares randomly or in a planned arrangement. We recommend spraying or painting some more water over the squares to accelerate the color “bleeding”.
- For best results, allow the water to dry before removing the squares.
- Once you remove the squares, the color will have transferred onto the watercolor panel, revealing your drawing and the color from the squares!
Important: Dye from the paper will stain hands and surfaces so protective care should be taken.
DIY Tissue Paper Projects
You can also use our pre-cut tissue painting squares for many different craft activities. This pack comes with 2500 colorful squares. You can use heavy paper, cardstock, watercolor paper or even canvas sheets.. Simply pre-wet your surface, then apply the paper squares and watch as the color bleeds through!
Our craft expert Crafty Kate used our pre-cut tissue painting squares with our beautiful gold resist prints to create this design. The gold lettering still shines through nicely!
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Is this permanent once dried or do I need to set it with a fixative?
I am looking for the polyester and cotton items to color with no bleeding markers
Hi wondering how much the kit is with all the supplies thanks
Hi Laurie, the Tissue Paper Painting Easy Pack is currently on sale for $41.99 and comes with everything you need to do this project. This is the link to the product on our website: https://www.ssww.com/item/tissue-paper-painting-easy-pack-AP276/. Please let us know if you have any other questions!
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can i use card stock
Hi Barbara, it is best to use a watercolor panel because it is meant for absorbing the color. You can also use watercolor paper. But card stock may not absord the color well.
can i use a color pencil?
Where can I buy all these supplies?
Hi there, we have included links to the products in the blog post. This pack has everything you need for the activity and is available in January: https://www.ssww.com/item/tissue-paper-painting-easy-pack-AP276/. Or you can purchase each item separately which you will find the links in the bulleted list in the beginning of the blog. Thanks!
Great Work!!! Thanks for sharing these ideas about tissue paper painting. All paintings are very beautiful. Keep it up…
Great Work!!! Thanks for sharing this blog about art activities with colored tissue paper. I like your art, image and video.
Hi – I ordered your Watercolor Gold Resist Art Prints and am a bit confused on whether they go on the canvas after the bleeding art tissue or prior? Also, I plan on doing this on Canvas… Any tips on making the color bleed well? Please get back to me ASAP… Thanks 🙂
Hi, is this the item you purchased? https://www.ssww.com/item/watercolor-gold-resist-art-prints-PE2135/. If so, it is separate from the Tissue Paper Painting activity which is the blog you had commented on. Just let me know what in particular you need help with. For making the color bleed well, you can add some water to the canvas.
Hey such a nice article i really enjoyed a lot great work keep it up!
what type of paintbrush would be best to use?
Hi there, the paintbrush is an alternative to a spray bottle. You just need to make sure you wet the canvas, so any flat paintbrush will do just fine.
Can you use it on canvases? Or does it work better on watercolor paper
Hi Jennifer, for this project we used watercolor paper panels, they are basically watercolor paper that is mounted on heavy chipboard. You can certainly use watercolor paper (https://www.ssww.com/item/watercolor-paper-11-x-17-80-lb-PE861/). Regular canvas does not typically absorb the color as well so we would not recommend it.
Hey, nice blog thanks for sharing it’s really awesome I really enjoyed a lot
using the white crayon didn’t do anything you could barely see it, what if you used a different type of crayon, maybe an oil crayon ?
Hi Stacy, sorry for the delayed response, we have limited staff during these times. You should be able to use a regular wax crayon, just make sure you press hard enough so the wax gets on the paper. Are you using a watercolor panel for your base?
Hi, I’m having the same problem, I used a cotton canvas board and the colours came through but the crayon got the colours too and is hardly visible. any tips?
Where can you find bleeding tissue paper?
Hi Kristen, so sorry for the delay as we have limited staff during this time. I hope you were able to find bleeding tissue paper. We linked to the squares in our blog post that were used for that specific canvas craft, but you can use any art tissue paper that is not color-fast. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks!
I think you mean *not* colorfast
Yes thank you Jennifer!
I love your Blog.Thank you for sharing It’s an amazing work !
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Is it possible to just use white paper, or does it have to be the watercolor panel?
Hi Sana, yes you can paint with bleeding tissue paper on regular watercolor paper or bristol type paper. Just nothing too thin as it will curl when wet. Thank you!
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I toyed with bleeding tissue paper this summer. Tried straight vinegar on one sheet and straight water on another sheet. They both produced the same exact outcome. Can’t wait to try this with our 1st graders!
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How long does it take to dry?
Is it possible to just use white paper, or does it have to be the watercolor panel?
i did this a long long time ago with a kindergarten class making big , oversized butterfly wings. And I remember needing to add a little vinegar to the water spray. Do you know if vinegar will help to increase the bleeding and hold the colors? Just wondering if you had tinkered with this. Great idea!
Hi Jayne, Using vinegar is not something we’ve experimented with but that’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing!!!
Could I use gift wrapping tissue for this activity?
Hi Kenisha! Good question, you’d have to wet the tissue paper you have and see if it’s color-fast or bleeding tissue paper. Most gift wrap tissue is not color-fast so it wouldn’t work for this project, again you need to use bleeding tissue paper. Hope this helps!
Iwell done to all these ideas i use pinterest nearly every day for my nursary and it is so much help Thank you monica
I would like to try this on fabric…should I heat set the stain with an iron after it dries?
Hi Dawn, Sure that’s a great idea, let us know how it turns out on fabric!
I’m curious if this worked? Doing tote bags right now and trying to figure out how to set the color.
great tutorial…so nice 2 show children a video 🙂
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