Easy Marble Shaving Cream Paper Tutorial
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.
After years of doing this process with students, this art process tutorial was initially published in November 2022. Erin has updated it with a clearer format and new takeaways in February 2025.
Why You Will Love This Painting Idea
Notes On Supplies You’ll Need
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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 do a lot of art projects at home or school, have a designated baking sheet to use for only art projects. Clearly label it and store it away from your kitchen.
How To Paint With Shaving Cream On Paper
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.
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.
Step 4: Print The Paper
After you have swirled, take your paper and press it down lightly and rub the back of the paper.
Step 5: Pull The Paper Off
Score, add water and blend a small coil onto the back of the heart near the middle where it will sit on a table.
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.
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.
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Painting FAQs
More Kid Painting Projects
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- Easy Flower Painting For Beginners
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How To Make Shaving Cream Marbling Paper With Paint
Equipment
- Scraper this can be a squeegee, piece of cardboard or old credit/gift card
- Surface to work on: baking sheet or tray
- Toothpick or old fork
- Spatula or cardboard to smooth out
Supplies
- Paint Food Coloring, Acrylic Paint or Liquid Watercolor: All will work to help dye the shaving cream.
- 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.
Notes
- Liquid watercolor paints will give you the most vibrant colors. Do not dilute them.
- You can repeat printing from the same mixture over and over.
- Experiment with colors but try to pick colors that you know will mix well together.