Do you want kids to be amazed by their fabulous marbled paper? This quick and easy printing technique is perfect as a stand-alone project or as one part of an art lesson. Learn to create beautiful shaving cream art on paper in less than 5 minutes.

different marble papers done with shaving cream.

After years of guiding students through this process, this art process tutorial was initially published in November 2022. Erin has updated it with a clearer format, a video tutorial and new takeaways in October 2025.

Why You Will Love This Painting Idea

KID-FRIENDLY – With some adult assistance, even the youngest children can create prints with shaving cream.
GREAT FOR COLLAGES– These marbled paintings are incredible as is, or great to add to other mixed media projects, like our Tree of Life paintings or preschool pumpkin project.
CHEAP – Minimal supplies are needed, and shaving cream is the most affordable way to get marbled papers.
QUICK – The hardest part is setting up and cleaning up this project.

Notes On Supplies You’ll Need

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cards, food coloring, shaving cream, paper cutter and cookie sheet on a table.

COLOR – Liquid watercolor paint, food coloring, or acrylic paint will all help dye the shaving cream. These liquid watercolor paints are our favorite for vibrant colors.
SHAVING CREAM – The cheapest will do.
SCRAPER – This can be a squeegee, a piece of cardboard, or an old credit/gift card.
PAPER – Use heavier drawing paper or cardstock. Copy paper will be too flimsy.

You can get the complete list of supplies in the printable how-to card at the end of the post.

Note: We chose to use acrylic paint for the examples below but have had great success with food coloring or liquid watercolor in the past.

ART TEACHER TIP – If you frequently work on art projects at home or school, consider designating a baking sheet for use only with art projects. Clearly label it and store it away from your kitchen.

How To Paint With Shaving Cream On Paper

spatula moving shaving cream around on baking sheet.

Step 1: Spread Shaving Cream

Add shaving cream a tray or baking sheet that is bigger than the paper you are printing on. You need a thin layer of shaving cream at the bottom before you begin. You can use a spatula or fingers to smooth it out if you want.

Step 2: Add Color

Add drops of liquid watercolor, food coloring or acrylic paint. For these particular prints, we used cheaper similar colored acrylic craft paint.

hand holding toothpick swirling around green, purple and blue paint.

Step 3: Swirl The Colors

Use a toothpick, fork or the end of a paintbrush to swirl the shaving cream and paint around until you like what it looks like.

hand pushing on white paper in baking sheet.

Step 4: Print The Paper

After you have swirled, take your paper and press it down lightly and rub the back of the paper.

paper being pulled off of shaving cream and paint in baking tray.

Step 5: Pull The Paper Off

hand using cardboard to scrape away paint shaving cream for marble prints.

Step 6: Scrape Off Shaving Cream and Paint Mixture

Using a scraper such as an old credit card or piece of cardboard to lightly take off excess shaving cream to reveal the awesome shaving cream art.

Watercolor vs. Acrylic Paint

The main reason we recommend liquid watercolor or food coloring is that it scrapes off more easily and does not leave lines in the design. In the picture below, you can see the really neat marble effect that you can achieve using warm-colored liquid paints.

Tips

PICKING COLORS – Experiment with colors, but you will want to choose colors that mix well together. Avoid using opposite colors like green and red.
DON’T OVERMIX – The more you swirl the shaving cream and paint, the more the paint mixes and becomes one color.
SHAVING CREAM – don’t buy shaving cream with gel in it. Basic, plain old shaving cream is what you need.

Painting FAQs

Liquid watercolor is the best paint to use when making shaving cream art. However, acrylic and tempera paint can also work. You can see we were able to get a cool effect with craft acrylic paint.

If you have some leftover shaving cream on the paper after printing, do not worry. It will flake off once it dries completely.

For best results, you need thicker paper, such as 80 lb. drawing paper, cardstock, or smooth watercolor paper. Standard white copy paper will most likely rip when the shaving cream and paint mixture is taken off.

More Kid Painting Projects

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Prep:2

Creating:5

Total Time:7

Equipment

Scraper this can be a squeegee, piece of cardboard or old credit/gift card
Baking Sheet
Toothpick or Pencil
Spatula

Supplies

Liquid Watercolor Paint recommended
Shaving Cream (not gel) the cheapest will do
Heavy Paper Cardstock, Watercolor Paper or at least 80 lb. Drawing Paper

Instructions

Add shaving cream to a tray or baking sheet.
Spread shaving cream out to a thin layer.
Add drops of paint or food coloring to the shaving cream.
Swirl paint and shaving cream around with a toothpick or old fork.
Lay paper on the mixture and lightly press the back of the paper.
Carefully pull up paper.
Use an old gift card or credit card to scrape away the shaving cream and paint.
Let your awesome marbled paper dry.

Video

Notes

Food Coloring, Acrylic Paint or Liquid Watercolor will work to help dye the shaving cream.
Liquid watercolor paints will give you the most vibrant colors. Do not dilute them.
You can repeat printing from the same mixture as many times as you like.
Experiment with colors, but try to pick colors that you know will mix well together.

Author: Erin Nutter

Cost: under $5