Grab a pencil and channel your inner artist for tracing paper crafts. This craft material allows kids to create fun drawings whether or not they have strong drawing skills.
Tracing Paper Basics
Tracing paper is a unique blend of strength and transparency. You can think of it as a cross between tissue paper and regular drawing paper. Like tissue paper, you can see through it somewhat. This is what allows you to trace images. Tracing paper is much stronger than tissue paper, however, making it more usable for craft projects.
Where to Buy Tracing Paper
Look for tracing paper at your favorite craft store. It is often found in the section with the artist supplies. It often comes in a tablet with several sheets. An art supply store is also likely to sell tracing paper.
Materials for the Crafts
Tracing paper and pencils are the main supplies needed for all of the tracing paper crafts. You will also need an image to trace for most of the craft projects. If you want to transfer images, graphite makes the job easier. Colored pencils allow the kids to fill in the outlines once they are traced.
Ideas for Tracing Paper Crafts
Once you get your hands on some tracing paper, it's time to start crafting. Kids enjoy using tracing paper because they can create drawings of their favorite characters and images with less frustration. The drawing will closely resemble the actual character since they are traced. Tracing also helps kids improve their fine motor skills, making these crafts an educational experience as well.
Crazy Creatures
Let the kids get creative by drawing crazy creatures. Make templates for different body parts. Provide several different options for head shapes, eyes, noses, mouths, eye brows, hair, arms, legs and bodies. The kids select and trace the body and head shapes to create the basic outline of their creatures. They can then select the facial features and other details of the creatures. They trace them in the appropriate spots on the creature's body to create the end result.
Custom Comics
Tracing paper allows kids to create their own comic strips based on their favorite characters. Collect several comic books and the comics section from the newspaper. The tracing paper is placed over the sections of the comics that the child wishes to trace. They can create an entirely new story line by combining different parts of the comics. They can also combine characters from different comic books. Staple the pages together to create a custom comic book display. A construction paper cover to the comic book gives it stability.
Self Portraits
Tracing paper allows kids to draw a self portrait. Each child needs a large photo of himself and a piece of tracing paper. Make sure the photo is an extra copy in case it gets ruined. Kids tend to press hard when they draw, so the photos will likely have indentations on them after the craft.
Tape the photo to the back of the tracing paper to keep it from slipping. The kids trace their faces and features with a pencil. The resulting picture resembles a professional sketch artist's portraits. Make a frame out of cardboard or construction paper that fits around the edge of the drawing. Display the self portraits next to the copy of the photo.
Transfers
Tracing paper also works well to transfer an image onto a regular piece of paper. Start by drawing the desired picture on the tracing paper. Turn the paper over and cover the lines with graphite. Place the graphite-covered side down on the new surface. Draw over the lines of the drawing to transfer the image to the second surface.
Start Tracing
Tracing paper crafts can keep kids busy for hours. The fine motor skills they use are an added bonus to the fun of the crafts. Kids also gain a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their finished drawings. The crafts may even inspire them to pursue more drawing projects.
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