1Cut out paper shapes.

Draw and cut out shapes from construction paper. You can also print and cut out any of our printable shape sets below or reuse shape cut-outs you've made from previous craft projects.

2Put tape at the back.

Put masking tape at the back of each shape.

3Put the shapes on a sheet of paper.

Prepare a sheet of white construction paper or drawing paper (e.g. 9" x 12"). Arrange the shapes on the sheet, spacing them out at least an inch apart. Once you're happy with their positions, press firmly on each shape to stick it in place.

4Prepare the paint.

Cover your work area with a mat or with newspapers.

Prepare three or more colors of tempera or poster paint on your palette. Thin down the paint with some water and mix well.

5Place a strainer over the paper.

Place a kitchen strainer or a plastic basket on top of the paper. You can either position it upright or upside down—as long as the screen or mesh doesn't touch the paper directly.

6Dip a toothbrush in paint.

Dip a toothbrush in one color of paint.

7Brush across the strainer.

Shake off the excess paint from the toothbrush then start brushing across the strainer so that the paint is sprayed onto the paper.

8Use other colors of paint.

Repeat using other colors of paint until the entire paper is painted. If your strainer or basket is smaller than your paper, move it to a different section of the paper as you change colors.

Rinse the toothbrush in water when changing colors or you can assign one toothbrush for each color.

9Remove the shape cut-outs.

Once you're done painting, lift the strainer from the paper. Let the paper dry.

Carefully remove the shape cut-outs. The areas that were once covered by the cut-outs remain white. A beautiful spray of colors surround each white shape.