Shaving Cream Art for Kids: Easy St. Patrick’s Day Coin Craft
If you’re looking for a colorful, hands-on craft that kids absolutely love, shaving cream art for kids is one of those super fun activities that never gets old. It’s messy in the best way, full of swirling colors, and the final reveal always feels like a little bit of art class magic.
For this project, we used our printable coin outlines to create a fun St. Patrick’s Day craft using shaving cream and food coloring. The process is simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers, but the results look so cool that even older kids get excited about it.
And the best part? You probably already have most of the supplies in your kitchen or craft bin.
Supplies for Shaving Cream Art for Kids
One of the reasons I love this project is that it uses very simple materials.
Here’s what we used:
- Cardstock paper (highly recommended)
- Coin printable outlines
- Shaving cream
- Shallow dish or container (about the size of your paper)
- Food coloring or liquid soap coloring
- Toothpick, fork, or pencil for swirling colors
- Something to scrape the shaving cream off (squeegee or cardboard)
- Covered workspace
Why Cardstock Works Best
I strongly recommend cardstock instead of regular printer paper.
When paper gets wet, thin printer paper tends to curl up and wrinkle or tear. Cardstock is thicker, holds its shape better, and gives you a much nicer final result.
How to Make Shaving Cream Art Coins
This is the fun part. The process is simple, but the results look incredibly cool.
Step 1: Add the Shaving Cream
Start by spraying a layer of shaving cream into your container.
The first time I ever did this activity, I filled the container way too full. Turns out you don’t need nearly that much.
Just use enough shaving cream to cover the bottom of the dish. Even if it looks a little spotty, it will spread out once you start swirling the colors.
Saving shaving cream means you can repeat the activity multiple times, which is always a win.
Step 2: Add Food Coloring
Next, add drops of your food coloring across the shaving cream.
You can use one color, but honestly multiple colors make the coolest patterns.
Add a few drops in different spots across the container. If you want stronger colors, you can always add a few more drops before swirling.
Step 3: Create the Swirls
Use a toothpick, fork, pencil, or even a butter knife to gently swirl the colors.
Move across the container slowly in one direction, then go back across the other direction. This creates those beautiful marble patterns.
The goal is not to mix the colors together completely. You want to keep those swirls visible so they transfer onto the paper.
Step 4: Press the Paper into the Shaving Cream
Place your printable coin page face down onto the shaving cream.
Then gently press down on the areas where your images are.
You don’t want to push the paper all the way to the bottom of the container. Just lightly press it into the shaving cream so the colors transfer.
Once you’ve pressed it down a bit, grab two opposite corners and lift the paper straight up.
Flip it over and place it on your covered workspace.
At this point, the kids usually think it already looks amazing.
But the real magic hasn’t happened yet.
Step 5: The Magic Reveal
Now it’s time to scrape off the shaving cream.
Normally I use a small shower squeegee from the dollar store, which works perfectly for this activity.
But this time… I couldn’t find it.
And you can’t exactly tell a group of kids:
“Remember that super fun craft we were about to do? Never mind.”
So we improvised.
I grabbed an empty applesauce pouch box from the recycling bin, cut off a straight edge, and used that as our scraper.
And guess what?
It worked perfectly.
Step 6: Swipe the Shaving Cream Off
Place your straight edge at the top of the paper and pull downward in one smooth swipe.
Try to avoid going back over the paper multiple times. A single swipe keeps the colors looking clean and prevents streaks.
For younger kids, I usually help by holding the paper with one hand while guiding their scraping tool with the other.
The moment the shaving cream slides off…
You get the coolest marble art reveal.
Every time we do this activity, the kids gasp a little.
It never gets old.
Should You Cut the Coins Before or After?
You might wonder whether you should cut the coins out before or after doing the shaving cream art.
I recommend keeping the page whole while you do the art.
It makes it much easier to:
- Press the paper into the shaving cream
- Lift it out
- Scrape the shaving cream off
After everything dries, then you can cut out the coins.
Kids can definitely help with this part. And sometimes they’ll surprise you.
I ended up cutting the coins out myself for one of my kiddos because I thought the circle might be tricky.
Later he grabbed another paper and cut out a 3-year-old perfect circle. He really did a great job.
Kids love proving us wrong sometimes.
Why Kids Love Shaving Cream Art
There’s something about this activity that always hooks kids right away.
Maybe it’s the shaving cream.
Maybe it’s the swirling colors.
Or maybe it’s the moment when all the foam slides away and the artwork appears.
Either way, it’s a perfect sensory-friendly craft that feels playful but still builds creativity and fine motor skills.
And it works for a wide range of ages.
Younger kids love pressing the paper into the foam.
Older kids enjoy designing their own color patterns.
Final Treasure at the End of the Rainbow
Once your coins dry, you can leave them just as they are or add extra decorations like glitter or gold accents.
We kept ours simple because the colors looked amazing all on their own.
Sometimes the best projects are the ones that start with a little shaving cream, a few drops of color, and a group of kids excited to see what happens next.
And if you ask them?
The shaving cream part might just be their favorite.
🎨 You Might Also Like
If you’re looking for more easy preschool art activities, check out these fun ideas:
✨Shamrock Color Matching Game
✨Paper Plate Leprechaun Craft
✨Q-Tip Rainbow Painting for Preschoolers
✨Do A Dot Rainbow
