Heart Printmaking with Foam Shapes - Easy Collagraphs for Kids

Heart printmaking with foam shapes is the perfect mix of art, math, sensory and fun for kids. Grab your foam shapes (or cardboard) and let’s get stamping!

A child seated at a table with a patterned tablecloth, smiling while painting a heart covered with foam shapes. A pink tray filled with colorful foam shapes and several jars of kids’ paint are visible on the table.

Today we’re trying heart printmaking with foam shapes

Many years ago, I went on my first “big girl” business trip all on my own to Seattle to an art educators conference and this project almost had me falling out of my seat.

Some of the classes were presentations, some were hands on, and one of my hands-on sessions was making collagraphs.

It was love at first print.

Collagraphs are limitless. You can make anything! I created a flower design, but I have never stopped using this technique for all kinds of seasonal process art for kids.

These hearts are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and any day of the year.

❤️ We have a whole collection of the best heart art projects for kids!

An overhead view of several finished heart prints on white paper, created using red, purple, and pink paint applied with foam shapes. The heart prints display vibrant textures and patterns, with a pink tray holding colorful foam shapes in the background.

Painting and heart printmaking with foam shapes

Printmaking is the perfect project for the youngest and the oldest artists. It’s simple enough for the littles to be successful, but open-ended enough that older artists have tons (and tons) of opportunities to add intricacies and details.

Kids will love rolling paint onto their custom heart-shaped “plate,” watching the colors mix and swirl. The big reveal (when they lift their heart plate off the paper) is pure magic every time!

And the best part? It’s a low-prep activity that packs a big creative punch. A win for busy families and teachers!

Check out these other Valentine’s Day favorites:

Materials

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Sturdy paper – ex: poster board (what we used here) or cardboard
Foam shapes – you could also cut out shapes from cardboard
Glue stick
Kids’ paint
Paintbrush or brayer (a brayer is a roller traditionally used in printmaking, but paintbrushes work wonderfully, too!)
White paper

A step-by-step sequence showing a child holding a foam-covered heart painted with red and purple paint, pressing it onto a white piece of paper, and then lifting the paper to reveal the finished heart print. This activity showcases the fun process of heart printmaking with foam shapes.

How to do heart printmaking with foam shapes

Draw a large heart on a sturdy piece of paper, cardboard, or poster board.
Fill in sections of the heart with a glue stick and invite kids to add foam shapes.
Roll or paint a layer of kids’ paint over the foam shapes.
Turn the foam heart plate over onto white paper.
Rub gently to transfer the paint.
Lift the plate to reveal the print.
Repeat the process by reapplying paint to the foam shapes and printing on fresh paper.
Admire your collagraphs!

💡 Teacher Tip: You can use regular school glue (instead of a glue stick) for the foam hearts, too. Make sure to let the glue dry completely before painting and printing or you risk them coming off of your “plate.”

A close-up of a child's hand holding a red paintbrush and applying pink, purple, and red paint onto a foam-covered heart shape. This is part of the process for heart printmaking with foam shapes, where the foam adds texture to the final prints.

Choosing paint colors for heart printmaking collagraphs

We used pink, red, and purple paints for our printmaking session because these analogous colors won’t become muddy when mixed together.

If, for example, we had used red, green, and purple paint, as the colors layered in the plate they would begin to become a brown-ish, grey-ish color.

Choosing colors near one another on the color will help to keep your colors true and vibrant.

A young girl with blonde hair smiles while painting a foam-covered heart with red and purple paint. This hands-on project is part of heart printmaking with foam shapes, creating vibrant and colorful art.

Wait, what are collagraphs?

Collagraphs are a printmaking technique where a textured “plate” is created by assembling various materials onto a surface, such as cardboard or wood.

The word “collagraph” comes from the Greek word “kolla,” meaning glue, and “graph,” meaning drawing. It’s essentially a collage that becomes a printing surface.

Collagraphs are popular in art education because they combine tactile crafting with the art of printmaking. They’re also used by professional printmakers to create dynamic, textured artworks.