Looking for a cute summer craft to make with your kids? This puffy paint ice cream is super fun, easy to make, and it has a cool 3D texture that kids will love. This simple project is perfect for toddlers, preschool and beyond!
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Does your child love painting? This fun art project is perfect for summer, and it’s appropriate for both younger and older kids.
And if you’re looking for more ways to entertain your kids this summer, check out these 100+ Summer Bucket List Ideas for Families! (This Summer I Spy Printable and these Summer Tracing Worksheets are also great for days where you don’t have much time and you need an activity that is print-and-go.)
Why You’ll Love This Craft
- Easy to make: This craft is easy enough for younger kids to make without much help from an adult, and it only requires a few simple supplies that you probably already have at home.
- Fun: The addition of sprinkles makes this craft super cute and kid-friendly!
- Three-dimensional: Homemade puffy paint retains its puffy texture when it dries, which means that the finished craft will have a cool 3D texture.
If your child loves everything ice cream, you can also try this Pom-Pom Ice Cream Cone Craft or this Ice Cream Handprint Art Template.
Required Materials
- Cardstock: I used bright pink and blue from this set because I thought they gave the craft a playful summer feel, but you can also use white if that’s what you have. (If you do, make sure you add color to the paint to make the ice cream pop!)
- Cardboard: Thin cardboard works best. I used an empty cereal box from the recycling. If you don’t have any, you can always use the thicker cardboard from a delivery box.
- Scissors: Make sure they’re strong enough to cut through cardboard, especially if the one you’re using is on the thicker side.
- Black fine point marker or pen: You’ll be using this to add details to the ice cream cone, so you don’t want the lines to be too thick.
- Liquid school glue: You can use Elmer’s glue or another brand of white glue. This is required for both the cone and the paint, so make sure you have enough.
- Shaving cream: Any brand will do. I usually get the generic one from Walmart for under $2.
- Food coloring: This is optional, as you can keep the ice cream white, but I highly recommend it if you’re going to be painting multiple scoops on top of your cone. You can use liquid food coloring (which is what I used), gel food coloring (which is more concentrated) or even liquid watercolor paint.
- Paintbrush and/or popsicle sticks: To make the cleanup easier, I like to use popsicle sticks to stir the paint. You can use the popsicle sticks for the painting part as well if you don’t have a paintbrush.
- Sprinkles and/or nonpareils: This is also optional. Nonpareils (small round sprinkles) work better than regular sprinkles because they are smaller, and their color doesn’t bleed into the paint as much. I used rainbow-colored sprinkles and nonpareils, but you can use any color. If don’t like using food for crafts, you can also use fake sprinkles, which are non-edible.
The full supply list and instructions can be found in the how-to card.
How to Make Puffy Paint Ice Cream Cones (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Make an ice cream cone. Grab some scissors and use them to cut a piece of cardboard into a triangular shape.
Step 2: Decorate the cone. Use a pen or marker to trace crisscrossed diagonal lines on the cardboard triangle.
Step 3: Glue the cone to cardstock. Use school glue to glue the cone to the bottom of a sheet of cardstock, leaving some room at the top for the ice cream.
Step 4: Create puffy paint. In a small bowl, combine school glue and shaving foam in approximately equal amounts. If you wish to color the paint, stir in a few drops of food coloring.
Step 5: Paint ice cream. Grab a paintbrush and use it to paint one or several scoops of ice cream on top of the cone. (If painting several scoops, use a different color for each one, or alternate between two colors.)
Step 6: Add sprinkles or nonpareils. While the glue is still wet, scatter some sprinkles or nonpareils on top of the ice cream. Gently shake off any excess sprinkles, then lay the cardstock flat to allow the paint to dry.
Once the paint has dried, your puffy paint ice cream cones are done! This project turned out super cute, and it was so much fun to make. I especially loved the colors and 3D effect.
If you have any puffy paint leftover, you can use it to paint any other design you like (like this cute Puffy Paint Lamb).
Helpful Tips
- Fill the whole page: If you’re planning on painting a single scoop of ice cream, make the cone slightly larger, place it a little higher up, and paint a larger scoop to fill the sheet of cardstock. If you want to paint several, make the cone smaller, place it lower down and paint smaller scoops.
- Add a bit more shaving cream: Most puffy paint recipes call for equal amounts of glue and shaving cream, but I prefer to add a bit of extra shaving cream to make the paint extra puffy. (Just don’t add too much or it will deflate when it dries.)
- Experiment with colors: Switch up the background using different colors of cardstock, and add food coloring or liquid watercolors to your puffy paint to make it pop. (I made pink, yellow and brown.) You can combine multiple colors if needed to create the perfect shade for your ice cream.
- Use nonpareils with white paint: The color from the sprinkles tends to bleed into the puffy paint a little, and this is more obvious when the paint is white. If you are using white paint, stick with smaller nonpareils.
- Add a cherry on top: For added fun, glue a pom-pom on top of the ice cream to mimic a cherry!
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to help!
More Summer Craft Ideas for Kids
If you have tried this Puffy Paint Ice Cream Craft or any other project on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Puffy Paint Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 sheet cardstock any color
- 1 piece recycled cardboard
- 1 pair scissors
- 1 black fine point marker or pen
- white school glue as needed
- shaving cream as needed
- food coloring or liquid watercolor paint optional
- paintbrush and/or popsicle sticks for stirring and painting
- rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils optional
Instructions
- Cut the cardboard into the shape of a triangle. (Cut a larger triangle if painting a single ice cream scoop, and a smaller triangle if painting several scoops.)
- Use a pen or marker to trace crisscrossed diagonal lines on the cardboard triangle. Glue the finished cardboard cone to the sheet of cardstock.
- In a small bowl, combine liquid school glue and shaving cream in approximately equal amounts. If you wish to color the paint, use a paintbrush or popsicle stick to stir in a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor paint.
- Paint one or several scoops of ice cream on top of the cone. (If painting several ice cream scoops, use a different color for each one, or alternate between two colors.)
- While the glue is still wet, scatter some sprinkles or nonpareils on top of the ice cream. Gently shake off any excess sprinkles, then lay the cardstock flat to allow the paint to dry.
Video
Notes
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- Add a bit more shaving cream: Instead of using equal amounts of glue and shaving cream, add a bit of extra shaving cream to make the paint more puffy.
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- Experiment with colors: Switch up the background using different colors of cardstock, or create several different colors of paint.
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- Use nonpareils with white paint: The color from the sprinkles tends to bleed into the puffy paint, and this is more obvious when the paint is white. In those cases, stick with nonpareils (small round sprinkles).
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