Ah spin art. You are so fun.
Have you tried this?
You need a salad spinner, paper plates (ours were too big so Maia cut them down) or paper cut to fit, and paint. We tried something called Activity Paints this time, which worked great, but have used tempera paints in the past. And BioColors
work well for spin painting, too.
Spin Painting with a Salad Spinner
MATERIALS
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. Add paint
Use a spoon to scoop a few different paint colors onto the paper plate.
Step 2. Place lid on and spin
Put the lid on the salad spinner and begin to spin!
Step 3. Remove the lid
The suspense and anticipation is so great!
Step 4. Admire
Each spin painting is beautiful and unique!
Continue to repeat this process and try various color combinations for different results.
What to do with all your lovely spin paintings? Make a mobile!
More Spin Art Ideas for Kids
- Spin painting with kids (and a comparison between using a special machine and a salad spinner)
- Spin drawing two mesmerizing ways :: Create concentric circles with markers and a spin art machine. Or try this doodle art activity using a marker and CD to make a spin art top!
- Make a homemade spin art machine :: Two DIY ideas on Housing a Forest.
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41 Comments
Melissa @ the chocolate muffin tree
February 23, 2011 at 7:23 amFirst of all, love your new banner and colors! Good choices.
I Love Spin Art too! Love the idea of the mobile! We’ll have to try one with our spin art creations that we have [email protected]
Check out my Spin Art Hearts that I am so proud of:
Spin Art
molly
February 23, 2011 at 8:26 amI can’t believe we still haven’t tried this. Maybe this afternoon. We need something new for the windows so maybe I’ll try the coffee filters in there.
Aleacia
February 23, 2011 at 9:12 amI need to do this RIGHT NOW! But first I need a salad spinner….
Awesome results!
Padma
February 23, 2011 at 9:31 amJean..the yellow and purple banner is so cool..we did spin art for July 4th..used black construction paper circles and sprinkled some glitter after the spinning..after everything dried we made a fireworks mobile.
butterfly wishes and wonderland dreams
February 23, 2011 at 10:10 amwe love salad spinner art! we won a contest with some fall salad spinner art last year :)
Check out our white papered wall I made in the girls playroom I’d love to hear what you think of it :) https://butterflywishesformygirls.blogspot.com/2011/02/blank-canvas-wall-and-creativity-runs.html
Michelle Cummings
February 23, 2011 at 11:53 amOMG. That is the coolest idea. I have the old original spin art kits but a salad spinner? too cool. I will definitely pick up a (cheap) one just for this. Thanks again. :)
Monica
February 23, 2011 at 12:04 pmFantastic Idea!
Can’t wait to try this with my girls!
Thank You for Sharing!
Gianne
February 23, 2011 at 12:49 pmI’ve thought of doing this so many times, but I don’t own a salad spinner! I can’t seem to find one anywhere! Where did you get yours?
robin
February 23, 2011 at 12:59 pmit must be in the air! we’ve done about a 100 of these in the past week! we are going to write our favorite memories of the birthday girl on them for an art group friend. :)
louise
February 23, 2011 at 1:25 pmso I’ve always wanted a salad spinner, even though we don’t eat nearly enough salads… i keep thinking that if we had a spinner, I would eat more, but….
My son would love love love this! If only I had a bed bath and beyond coupon with me today, I’d go get one!
Very great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Amanda
February 23, 2011 at 1:57 pmLove the mobile idea! What a great way to use those beautiful disks of color!
Jujudebisschop
February 23, 2011 at 2:15 pmLove it! That’s our favorite boredom buster. We use the Ikea one at home because it’s so cheap. I want to say $3. It is a little more difficult for toddlers to use because they have to turn the little knob. The OXO is much easier because it’s a push button, but costs $30.
Brooke
February 23, 2011 at 3:14 pmI could kiss you for this! Thank you so much. My kiddos have been sick off and on since Christmas (long story) and your website has been a life-saver! Thank you! xo
Aleacia
February 23, 2011 at 4:00 pmI had to go out and buy one!
I got one from Wal-Mart for about $9
It’s a pull string one which I think the 3 year old will love!
Can’t wait to try some spin art!
MaryAnn F. Kohl, art book author
February 23, 2011 at 12:12 pmYour posts make me so happy! It’s like I was there doing spin painting, and now I don’t have to do it for real!! Thank you!!!!!!!! ha ha ha ha
Rachelle
February 23, 2011 at 6:19 pmi love the expression on maia’s face! we’ve been doing spin art, too, and it made me smile to see your table covered in paper. was there a mess? i’ve done this with a salad spinner in the past, and it’s definitely the best inexpensive option, but I couldn’t resist buying a crayola color twister a couple months ago. it’s not too pricey, and it’s easy for toddlers to use.
Yelena
February 23, 2011 at 9:57 pmAh, every year come spring I think of buying a salad spinner. And I never buy it ’cause it seems to be so limited to just one thing – drying salad greens. Now this is a perfect idea and I’m going to buy a spinner ASAP.
Jean Van't Hul
February 23, 2011 at 7:59 pmThanks for all the lovely comments, everyone! It’s been a loooong day for me — starting in the wee hours of the morning with a sick kid. The girls are finally both asleep and I think I’m going to follow suit shortly.
megwrites
February 23, 2011 at 8:24 pmWe did this a couple years ago and it was a huge hit. We’ll have to try it again soon!
Barbara Zaborowski
February 24, 2011 at 2:07 am“Oh, the anticipation!” is right. I have an electric spinner left from my kids’ childhood that we use at school, but we also have several salad spinners (Goodwill.) My kids (my students, that is) love the salad spinners and I’m convinced that it’s because there’s no cover on the electric spinner. They prefer the anticipation of using the salad spinners, the wondering what they’re going to see when they lift the cover, to watching the art being made in the electric model.
Kristi @ Creative Connections for Kids
February 24, 2011 at 7:51 amI have been looking for the old fisher price record player. But a salad spinner would be so much better. Thanks for the wonderful idea!
Michelle DuPuis
February 24, 2011 at 3:47 pmLove this idea! Ikea sells salad spinners super cheap. I may have to pick one up just for painting!
Jennifer B
February 24, 2011 at 4:05 pmI assume everyone designates the salad spinner as the ‘art spinner’ and doesn’t also use it for salad?
We have a salad spinner that we let our toddler use to spin balls, blocks, doll babies, etc. We still use it for salad too though, after a good wash. Not sure that we would be comfortable with using it once it had been used with paint.
Connie Orman
February 24, 2011 at 7:29 pmSharing on my FB page Little Stars Learning, FYI!! LOVE it! Think I’ll do this tomorrow with my 2s.
Bubbles and Mud Puddles
February 24, 2011 at 10:44 pmLoved this with the tempera paints it adds a different demension. I have done this with water colors. I put them in squirt bottles and let the kids squirt them in while it is spinning.
Jean Van't Hul
February 24, 2011 at 7:54 pmWell, ours washes out so perfectly clean, that I have to admit I continue to use it for salads afterward. That said, I would like to get a second one (maybe that $3 Ikea version people have mentioned), to dedicate for art.
Jean Van't Hul
February 24, 2011 at 7:54 pmYay! Let me know how it goes with the 2 year olds!
Jean Van't Hul
February 24, 2011 at 7:57 pmLove it!
Jean Van't Hul
February 24, 2011 at 7:57 pmOoh! I like that idea! I’ll have to remember it when the 4th of July comes around…
Jean Van't Hul
February 24, 2011 at 7:58 pmNo mess! Do you have a post about the crayola color twister? I’d love to see pics of it in action…
K
February 25, 2011 at 6:26 amOh my gosh. You are so smart. I’ve been really tempted to buy one of those paint spinners at various holidays, because I loved doing it as a kid….
My daughter’s “job” at night is to spin the salad, which she loves. We are totally doing this today! Thanks so much!
sivan
February 25, 2011 at 9:27 pmDid this today and a huge success. Used coffee filters which fit just right into the salad spinner. Surprisingly unmessy. Great idea.
jwg
February 28, 2011 at 12:37 amYou should warn people to get salad spinners without holes in the bottom. I learned that the hard way. I also do this with coffee filters because I am too lazy to trim paper plates.
Jean Van't Hul
February 28, 2011 at 7:38 amWe use a salad spinner with holes in the bottom, but just place a plate underneath for this project. It works well!
Jean Van't Hul
February 28, 2011 at 7:39 amI’ll have to try it with coffee filters next time!
Jean Van't Hul
February 28, 2011 at 7:40 amI’d love to try this with watercolors soon!
Heather Warkentin
March 1, 2011 at 3:33 pmI recently came across your blog and am in love! So many great ideas! We love spin art too and have become addicts. My 4 yr. old made some to decorate for his brother’s 1st b.day. So simple but looks great: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SjA_Xa0ESFM/TOibvVU2geI/AAAAAAAAAXs/1PkcRO8XCkA/s1600/OttoParty1.JPG
christina
August 10, 2012 at 3:46 amI think that’s cool idea good for little ones, I don’t own a salad spinner but i think i’m going to go to the thirft store to get one.
Meemee
August 2, 2013 at 9:19 amI loved this idea, and did it with my 4 grandkids. (They loved it too!) BUT instead of trimming paper plates I used coffee filters! Perfect size for my spinner. We wet the filter with a spray bottle of water before adding paint & spinning. We experimented with varying amounts of water, spraying again & adding more paint, etc. (Dry didn’t work, the coffee filter just flew around in the spinner!) To dry, we set each filter on a piece of paper with the child’s name on it so they would know which belongs to whom. I needed to peel the filter off the paper after it dried a little so it wouldn’t stick too badly, but that also left a cool print on the paper, which they can use when we start art journaling! THANKS FOR A GREAT AFTERNOON’S ACTIVITY!!
Melissa Dixon
October 10, 2013 at 6:53 amThis is so cool I have to share this :) (I know my kids will love this but you know what the kid in me does too)
Tori Raddison
February 19, 2020 at 4:46 pmMy daughter wants to throw an art-themed party for her birthday. This is such a good idea! It’s nice that all you need are some paper plates and a salad spinner to get some cool art! My daughter will be so excited!