This Bleeding Tissue Paper Flower craft is perfect for spring, Earth Day, or just an afternoon when you need a calm, creative activity that feels more like play than “craft time.”
If you’ve never tried bleeding tissue paper art with your kids, this is your sign to go for it—because it’s seriously magical. We have done a few crafts using bleeding tissue paper and everytime I do I remember why its one of my favorites! Turning a rainbow of blended color into something beautiful so always so much fun!
What is Bleeding Tissue Paper?
Unlike regular tissue paper, bleeding tissue paper releases color when wet, kind of like watercolor in disguise. So when you brush or spray it with water, the colors blend, overlap, and leave behind gorgeous patterns that look like they took way more effort than they actually did. Which is my favorite kind of art!
Why You’ll Love This Craft
- It’s a process art activity that focuses more on exploration than perfection
- Works for a wide age range—from toddlers to big kids
- You can use the finished paper to cut out flowers, cards, or whatever you like
- No two flowers turn out the same
Materials You’ll Need
- Flower template (printable below)
- Bleeding tissue paper
- White cardstock
- Bowl of water
- Paintbrush or spray bottle
- Tray or baking sheet (to catch the mess)
- Scissors
- Colored construction paper (for stems, leaves, or background)
How to Set Up & Create Your Bleeding Tissue Paper Flowers
1. Cut or tear your tissue paper.
Start by prepping your bleeding tissue paper. You can tear or cut it into squares or strips. We usually keep a stash of pinks, purples, yellows, and greens ready to go for spring crafts. When choosing colors to blend with, pick colors that are next or near to each in the rainbow. That way when the colors run and mix together they create a vibrant mix of color and not brown or gray.
2. Place your cardstock on a tray.
Print your flower template on a sheet of white cardstock. Lay it on a tray or baking sheet to contain the water and color. Trust me—this step makes clean-up 100% easier. Use a spray bottle of a paint brush and water and slightly dampen the flower with water. This will allow the tissue paper to stick to the surface better.
3. Arrange your tissue paper pieces.
Let your child place the tissue paper all over the cardstock in the wet areas. Encourage them to overlap colors and leave some white space too—it all adds to the effect.
4. Add water and watch the magic.
Use a paintbrush or spray bottle to gently wet the tissue paper. Watch the colors start to bleed and blend! It’s a super satisfying moment every time.
5. Let it dry.
Once everything is nice and soaked and the colors have run together, set it aside to dry completely. The tissue paper will peel off once dry, leaving behind a beautiful, watercolor-like design.
6. Cut out your flowers.
Cut the flower out.
7. Assemble your bouquet.
Glue your flowers onto colored construction paper.
Bleeding tissue paper flowers are one of those crafts that feel like magic and look like magic. Whether you’re celebrating spring, talking about Earth Day, or just want something open-ended and beautiful, this activity delivers. Let the colors flow and the creativity bloom!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
