Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment and Activities
  3. Arts and Crafts
  4. DIY Crafts
  5. Make A Mud Cloth

Make a Mud Cloth

Kids love to play in the mud. Now they can paint with it, too! Find out how to turn ordinary dirt into art.
by: Christine Dvornik
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Make a Mud Cloth

Age: Preschool through elementary
Time: An hour or more
Type of activity: Nature Craft

Making mudcloth is an age-old African art form. Now your kids can add a new twist to this ancient craft.

Materials Needed:
· 1/2 cup brown tempera paint
· 1/2 cup blue tempera paint
· 1 cup dirt
· Old mixing bowl
· Old spoon
· Strainer
· Newspaper
· A piece of white cloth
· Paintbrush

What to do:

Step One: Begin by "cleaning" your dirt. Put the dirt into the strainer. Run water over the strainer and sift the mud into the mixing bowl. Then carefully tilt the bowl to pour out some of the water.

Step Two: Add the blue and brown paint to your "clean" mud. Stir the mixture until the colors have fully blended.

Step Three: To avoid spills, lay newspapers on the flat surface you will be painting on.

Step Four: Lay the white cloth down flat on the newspapers.

Step Five: Think of a design that you'd like to paint. You may want to draw the design ahead of time on the cloth using a pencil.

Step Six: Using the paintbrush and your mud mixture, paint the design on the cloth.

Step Seven: Let the paint dry. Then go over your design with a second coat of mud paint.

Step Eight: Let the cloth fully dry; this will take an hour or more.

Step Nine: Hang your art up for friends and family to see!

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

What's hot

  • mom giving kids valentines day gifts Entertainment and Activities6 Last-Minute Valentine'…
  • 14 Fun Activities for Winter Break Entertainment and Activities14 Fun Activities for Winter…
  • Valentine's Games_Featured Entertainment and Activities14 Valentine's Day Games…
  • 15 Fun Water Games Entertainment and Activities20 Fun Water Games to Play…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Medical Review Policy
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.