Potato printing is a simple and fun way to decorate cards.
Both poster paint and watercolour paint types work well for potato printing - it's useful to know that watercolour paint gives a subtler effect, even when applied in a heavy-handed way!
Some potato printing tips...
* Try and choose a potato which is 'past its best' to use for art purposes.
* Ensure you cut the potato into two very FLAT halves, so the surface that the paint goes on is level.
* 'Draw' out your design on the flat potato half with the end of a skewer (or with a dried-up biro).
* Work on a chopping board when cutting the design out and clear away the sharp implements as soon as you have finished with them.
* Wipe dry the freshly cut potato slice before using.
* Do a couple of practise prints on scrap paper (the first couple of stampings always come out dodgy).
* If you are aiming for a neat finish (i.e. if you aren't attempting this with small children), don't overload with paint but do pay particular attention to applying paint to the very edges of the stamp shape.
* Again, for a neat finish, press the stamp down firmly and rock it back and forth and side to side.
* The cut potato stamps can be used for a few days - just slice of the wrinkly top layer the next day (or embrace the interesting patterns the dried-up surface creates).
* Once finished, wash the potato stamps and put them (and the cut-away bits) into your compost bin.
Remember that sadly, any painted-on paper or card cannot be recycled (as the fibres have been weakened by the moisture and are no longer suitable for the recycling process). "Even if your children use a water-based paint, the paper still can’t be recycled. This is because it’s not the paint itself that makes the paper unrecyclable but the fact that the paper has been wet. Once paper or cardboard has been wet, the paper fibres are damaged and can't be recycled." This is on the Russell Richardson Recyling FAQs web page and is confirmed by the 'Yes Please / No Thanks' table on the Recycle Now website.