Shaving Cream Marbling
Shaving Cream Marbling
Materials
Shaving cream
food coloring or paints
mixing tools (knife, stick, spatula, comb)
Tray
paper
scraping tool (ruler, knife, spatula)
Process
Spray tray with shaving cream (optional: smooth layer of shaving cream with ruler or spatula, depends on texture you want)
Drip the food coloring or paint in spots around the shaving cream.
Using one of the tools (comb, spatula, knife, stick etc.) to swirl or spread dots of color throughout. Play around with design and shapes!
Lightly press paper down on top of shaving cream + color and pull away.
Set the paper to the side for 2-3 minutes.
After 2-3 minutes, use a flat tool (ruler, knife, spatula) to scrape away the shaving cream.
My Experience
Overall Thoughts
I really enjoyed this entire process. My results on a whole were mostly a surprise. I found that the less I liked what my shaving cream color design looked like, the more interesting my paper turned out.
Color and Design Results
I also found that both food coloring and acrylic paints were effective for providing vibrant colors. An effective process for creating different colors and designs for me was starting with one color, then adding one or two for each new paper pull going forward. When I fulfilled a color scheme, I sprayed a new layer of shaving cream to begin a new set of colors and designs. I appreciated the different results from each of the tools we used- the skinny kabob stick made for a distinct, vibrant design while the spatula and knife created thicker lines and spots of color.
Paper
Cardstock and poster paper worked best for solid and vibrant results. White printer paper also worked well. I did not like the way colored paper turned out. It seemed like the color didn’t stick as well to both the colored construction and colored printer paper (I tested with light blue and cream printer paper and dark blue construction paper).
Classroom Application
Elementary kids would love this! I had so much fun because this was experimental, colorful and a tactile experience- all appealing to elementary students.
Shaving cream is relatively safe and clean, I would just be aware of any sensitivities to scent and possibly keep one scent free option on hand.
This is a messy yet inexpensive project. While trays are ideal, this can be done directly on a table. Any daily use tools are usable for mixing color and scraping shaving cream. Shaving cream is the only expense, and a little can go a long way? Maybe I have some things to learn about how crazy kids go on things that come out of aerosol cans though…
Another perk to shaving cream marbling, like with other decorative paper techniques, is that it can be the base for another project. Marbled paper could be cut up for collage, serve as the cover of student made books, journals or folders. As a starting point or an add on, marbled paper can be used alone or repeatedly reused, which is useful for student engagement, recycling/sustainability and supply budget.
