Flower Printing on Paper



Flower printing on paper is a fun painting activity to try with kids or as a beginner painter. Flower printing on paper is a great way to add texture and to layer colours in a painting. Learn about flower printing on paper by reading more below! Kids in Kindergarten and up can try flower printing or you can add some texture to your paintings in the background with flower printings.




Flower Printing on Paper- the Supplies 

  • Thick watercolour paper 

  • Paper to practice with like a sketchbook

  • Acrylic paint (could use tempera paint too)*Tempera paint is less expensive and it is washable and safe for kids to use*

  • A flat brush 

  • A cup of water

  • A rag 

  • Paper towels in case you make a mess

  • Flowers, plants and greenery to print with

Flower Printing on Paper- the Steps

Step 1: 

Begin by choosing the plants and flowers you want to print with. You can take a look to see what flowers you have growing and choose the flowers that you are most excited about working with. 


Step 2: 

You can choose the colours of paint you want to use or mix your own colours. To do an abstract painting you may want to think about a colour palette you want to stick to. You can start by painting your watercolour paper with a background colour of your choosing. You could choose a neutral colour or a complimentary colour that will make the prints pop. 

flower printing on paper

Step 3:

Using your flat brush you can apply a thin coat of paint covering the side of your leaves or flowers. You will want to choose to paint the side with the most veins or texture because that will create a nice textured print. You can do a test print in your sketchbook before doing it on your “good copy.”



Step 4: 

Once you feel comfortable and have practiced a little, you can begin starting on your canvas or watercolour paper. You can mix different colours of paint and layer your prints over top of each other. You can have some prints going off the edges of your paper or canvas. Keep going until it feels finished and you are happy with it. 




Watch the YouTube painting tutorial here. Be sure to subscribe to my acrylic painting YouTube channel to see new tutorials that come out!