Welcome to another Wacky Workshops project – magnificent muddy masterpieces.

Mud has been used in artworks for thousands of years and there is a good reason. It is a wonderful medium.

If you read my post, How to Increase Health and Happiness by Playing in Mud, you will know that getting dirty is good for you.

It is also fun to work with.

Soil can create a range of shades of black, brown, red, orange, yellow and white – perfect for painting.

Mud containing clay is wonderful for making sculptures.

This week’s projects include mud painting, mini mud buildings using homemade mud bricks, and seed bombs – a fun gift for gardeners.

MUDDY MASTERPIECES – PAINTING

The beauty of mud paint is the wonderful texture it adds to artworks.

MATERIALS

• Mud – make your own with soil and water.
• Colour – you can use liquid watercolours or food colouring, but I used powdered tempera paints.
• Dishwashing liquid, a few drops – helps the mixture to spread more smoothly.
• Water
• Heavy cardboard – paper isn’t strong enough and is likely to rip.

METHOD

• Place the mud into a separate container for each colour – I used about a handful of mud.
• Make sure the mud is free of rocks, sticks, worms etc.
• Add the colour – you may want to experiment with different amounts. I used about 1tlb of powdered paint per container.
• Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and some extra water, so you can spread the paint.
• Paint a beautiful picture on the heavy cardboard.

MUDDY MASTERPIECES – BRICKS

MATERIALS

• Ice cube trays
• Soil
• Water

METHOD

• Mix the soil and water together to form a slushy mud.
• Place small amounts into ice cube trays and use a paddle pop stick or similar tool to level the tops.
• Gently tap the trays to help the mud settle.
• Allow the mud bricks to dry completely.
• Gently tap them out of the ice trays.
• Have fun making your own mud brick building.

SEED BOMBS

MATERIALS

• Soil
• Water
• Seeds

METHOD

• Make some mud by mixing the soil and water – don’t add too much water. You want to be able to forms balls out of the mix.

• Sprinkle the seeds on the mix and gently mix in with your hands. NOTE: You could use a tool, such as a spoon, but there is a wonderful sensory experience to touching the mud.
• Take small amounts of the mixture and roll into balls.
• Allow the balls to dry completely on sheets of newspaper in a dark place. If you leave them in the sun they will start to grow.
• Store the balls in a cool, dry, dark place, until ready to use. An old egg carton makes the perfect storage space.

They make a lovely gift paired with a pretty pot and ribbon.

Want more fun art ideas using mud? Why not try making your own mud pies?

You can use cupcake wrappers to contain the mud mix and decorate with leaves and little rocks.

Make a mud monster by rolling some mud into a ball and making a ‘face’ using rocks, leaves, flower petals, sticks and other nature finds.

I hope you enjoyed this project. If you did, be sure to share.

Don’t want the stress or the mess? That’s where schools like Wacky Workshops Arts and Crafts for Kids and the Young at Heart come in handy. We love to play with mud at Wacky. Check out The Wacky Workshops Page for more information.

Follow me on Pinterest for more fun craft projects.

Happy crafting and have a gleeful week, Tamuria.