• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Get Our Latest Updates: Download a FREE Set of Coloring Pages! ⇾

Menu Icon
Close Extra Navigation
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
Friends Art Lab

Friends Art Lab

LOGIN

Menu Icon
Close Extra Navigation
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
go to homepage
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
Friends Art Lab / Blog / DIY Printmaking Rollers

DIY Printmaking Rollers

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 11/02/2022     Updated: 02/14/2025

Learn how to make easy DIY printmaking rollers using a paper towel tube and items around your home or classroom! Easy and fun for all ages.

A close up of four paper towel tubes with different materials on each: one has hot glue circles, one has bubble wrap, one has animal shaped foam stickers, and the other has rubber bands. All four printmaking rollers are sitting beside a tray of blue paint.
Table of Contents:
  1. Make your own printmaking rollers with free & found materials
  2. Printmaking rollers are like giant stamps
  3. Materials
  4. How to make DIY printmaking rollers
  5. Why is printmaking important for kids?
  6. What can you use instead of rollers?
  7. What will you use for your printmaking rollers?
  8. Frequently Asked Questions

Make your own printmaking rollers with free & found materials

I love the convenience of going into a teacher store and buying premade, ready-to-go products, but sometimes it feels like the costs never end.

So instead, like many of you, I like to get inspiration browsing in stores or online and see what I can make with materials I already have.

This activity is a PERFECT example of using what you already have, and this could easily be free to make.

💙 Related: We love printmaking and have a list of 30+ of the best printmaking activities for kids.

Printmaking rollers are like giant stamps

These are like stamps that roll around! Also just like stamps, these can come in many designs.

In this post, we’re using paint to roll these around in, but if you have giant stamp pads, they would work, too.

Try some of these other printmaking masterpieces:

  • Painting with Bugs
  • Baking Sheet Printmaking
  • Floating Chalk Prints
  • Styrofoam Sheet Printmaking
A bag of "extra long sturdy recycled craft rolls"

Materials

Friends Art Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

  • Paper towel tubes – save from home use or buy ready-to-go bulk craft tubes
  • Shallow trays – We use these daily in the classroom, and they’re dishwasher safe
  • Paint
  • White paper
  • Printing texture supplies – ex: hot glue, bubble wrap, foam stickers, rubber bands, etc.
A close up of four paper towel tubes with different materials on each: one has hot glue circles, one has bubble wrap, one has animal shaped foam stickers, and the other has rubber bands. In the background you can see a piece of paper with blue bubble wrap print paint circles.

How to make DIY printmaking rollers

Depending on what materials you’re using, they might simply wrap around the tube (like rubber bands) or need to be glued on (like foam stickers).

Hot glue works great for quickly securing items to tubes, but hot glue guns are for adult use, only.

Next, get the paint ready. Add a thin layer of paint to the bottom of your shallow tray.

If you want to use more than one color of paint and avoid the colors becoming muddy, use two colors that make a nice color when mixed.

Examples:

  • Pink + blue = purple
  • Yellow + orange = tangerine
  • Green + yellow = lime
  • Blue + yellow = green

Last, time to rock and roll! Invite your child to roll the tube into the paint and then onto their paper. Talk about how the different rollers make different designs.

A close up of four paper towel tubes with different materials on each: one has hot glue circles, one has bubble wrap, one has animal shaped foam stickers, and the other has rubber bands. All four printmaking rollers are sitting beside a tray of blue paint.

Why is printmaking important for kids?

Creativity: We love any opportunity for children to create! When doing an activity like this, children choose their colors, create their own designs, and they can even use their completed artworks for something else like cards or wrapping paper.

Fine Motor: Gluing. Rolling, Holding. Controlling. Lifting. Pushing. Printmaking uses many small muscle movements, which also supports prewriting skills. Isn’t it so cool how in early childhood, a simple activity like this can support finger and hand development down the road?

Math: There is JUST as much math involved in this as art. Each different material makes a different design and pattern. For example, rubber bands make lines and bubble wrap makes circles. Children identify shapes and compare the differences between what each type of material makes.

And speaking of math…if you’re able to make a tube with letters on it (ex: foam letter stickers, letters written in hot glue, etc.), do it! When letters are printed, they become backward which is fascinating to kids.

A DIY printmaking roller with bubble wrap covered in a mix of pink and blue paint leaves circle prints on a piece of white paper.

What can you use instead of rollers?

We’re essentially just making stamps, and you can easily make stamps on other surfaces and materials.

Instead of rollers, you could use:

  • Jumbo popsicle sticks
  • Leaves
  • Foam sheets
  • Cardboard
  • Shoe boxes
  • Plastic lids
  • Bubble wand tubes
  • Plastic cups

What will you use for your printmaking rollers?

What are you going to use for your printmaking?

We can’t wait to see it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials can I use to make DIY printmaking rollers?

You can use paper towel tubes as the base and attach various textured materials like bubble wrap, rubber bands, foam stickers, or hot glue designs to create different patterns.

What type of paint works best with these DIY rollers?

Any kids paint should work great.

How do I clean the rollers after use?

Wipe the rollers clean, but don’t worry about stains. Keep your rollers for more fun in the future, too.

Friends Art Lab Best Resources:

GIANT 10-Foot Coloring Banners 🎨
Printable Coloring Pages for Kids ✍🏼
Learn About Virtual Preschool 🖥️
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
← Previous Post
Bubble Foam: Quick, Colorful, Hours of Fun!
Next Post →
Fall Directed Draws for Kids

EXPLORE A CATEGORYArt

Related Activities

  • A collage of 8 printmaking projects surrounds the perimeter. The text reads "30+ printmaking projects for kids."
    The Best Printmaking Projects for Kids
  • A sheet of painted window clings sits next to the finished print.
    Window Cling Printmaking
  • Four pieces of paper sit next to one another, each with a print on them in colorful paint (greens, red, and blue). Next to the papers sits a baking sheet turned over with red paint on the bottom. In the middle of everything is a small jar with red paint and a paintbrush.
    Baking Sheet Printmaking - Process Art Activity
  • A white paper is lifted off a cardboard rectangle filled with colorful, painted foam shapes to make foam shape collapgraphs for kids. Above the table is a set of colorful paints with paintbrushes and they all sit beside a collection of colorful foam shapes.
    Foam Shape Collagraphs for Kids

Let’s Stay Connected!

Get our favorite ideas and news sent directly to your inbox.

Reader Interactions

LEAVE A COMMENT

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

LEARN MORE

Best Summer Activities

A collage of water table activities around the perimeter and in the center reads the text "30+ water table activities for kids"

Water Table Activities for Kids

A smiling preschooler stands outdoors at a water table, holding and squeezing a yellow sponge over a bin of turquoise water. The child’s colorful shirt and the bright green yard create a playful backdrop for this joyful moment during sponge water play for kids.

Sponge water play for kids

Hands holding a set of freshly frozen neon paint popsicles with distinct rainbow stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, ready for painting outdoors on a white surface.

How to Make Neon Paint Popsicles

A young girl with long blonde hair and a pink shirt smiles while playing at a white table filled with colorful neon water bins. Each bin holds a different bright color, and paint bottles are lined up behind them. The scene takes place on a sunny patio surrounded by greenery. This playful moment highlights the joy of neon water outdoor play for preschoolers.

Neon Water Outdoor Play Preschool Summer Activity

ALL SUMMER POSTS

Best Sensory Activities

A collage of water table activities around the perimeter and in the center reads the text "30+ water table activities for kids"

Water Table Activities for Kids

A smiling preschooler stands outdoors at a water table, holding and squeezing a yellow sponge over a bin of turquoise water. The child’s colorful shirt and the bright green yard create a playful backdrop for this joyful moment during sponge water play for kids.

Sponge water play for kids

A young girl with long blonde hair and a pink shirt smiles while playing at a white table filled with colorful neon water bins. Each bin holds a different bright color, and paint bottles are lined up behind them. The scene takes place on a sunny patio surrounded by greenery. This playful moment highlights the joy of neon water outdoor play for preschoolers.

Neon Water Outdoor Play Preschool Summer Activity

Side-by-side image showing a box of food coloring and a bin of green glitter water with two wooden spoons, part of a taste-safe sensory play setup.

Taste-Safe Sensory Play Shimmer Water

ALL SENSORY POSTS

Footer

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Friends Art Lab Shop

  • Coloring Banners
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Coloring Pages
  • Directed Draws
  • Affiliate Shop

Visit the Blog

  • Sensory
  • Art
  • Outdoor
  • Science
  • Draw
  • Math

Customer Service

  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Return Policy
  • Gift Card
  • FAQ
  • About Us

© 2025 Friends Art Lab ·  Privacy Policy ·  Terms & Conditions ·  Disclosure ·  SITE CREDITS