Swimsuit Craft for Kids: Turn Rectangles into a Summer Clothesline!
- 13 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Make this adorable swimsuit craft with 3 kids' markers and 5 rectangles
Summer is the season of simplicity. Grilling hot dogs, wearing sandals, consuming fruit via popsicles- the searing heat of August and July just makes us want to be easy.
Summer crafts are no different. It’s amazing how many adorable summertime decorations we can make with just a few art supplies and super simple shapes that even the youngest children have mastered.
Our swimsuit clothesline is no different. With the humble but strong RECTANGLE and just 3 Crayola markers pulled from our Bright Colors marker 10-pack, kiddos can make a super cute summertime craft that makes the hot days feel a little sweeter.
The Clothesline: A Clever Way to Display Kids’ Art!
Showing off our artwork on a banner is a great way to both decorate our homes and make the most of our creations.
Isn’t it adorable to make this display option part of the art itself by turning it into a mini clothesline!
This summer clothesline boasts a towel, 2 swim trunks and 2 one-piece swim suits. It looks incredibly cute and seasonal hanging next to the front door, on the front door itself or strung up somewhere inside.
To me, it looks like a bunch of elves went swimming in the lake and left their soggy bottoms behind!
The clothesline is the perfect way to create cozy seasonal kids’ crafts all year long. Can’t you just imagine a cozy winter coat or bright yellow rain coats hanging in just the same way?
How Many Summery Decorations can we Make from ONE SHAPE?
Learning how to see the hidden language of shapes is one of the most important artistic skills young artists can develop.
That’s why I LOVE these simple summer shape crafts! They teach kids how easy it is to make eye-catching, adorable summer decorations from simple, easy-to-draw figures.
Young artists can draw a couple of rectangles, and then with a few additional lines, can create swimming trunks, bikinis and one-pieces.
This summer clothesline is a great way to help kids begin to understand the hidden language of shapes!
One Little Swimsuit Craft, Lots of Artistic Skills
The best thing about this summer clothesline is how many different techniques kids get to try out.
This summer craft features:
Markers
Collage
Color Mixing
Cutting
Hole Punch techniques
Display Techniques
If you’d like to read more about why hole punchers are such a great kids’ art supply, click below. But maybe wait until after you’ve finished your summer clothesline!
Just 3 colors to Make Eye-Catching Summer Decorations
This project uses a simple three-color micro palette: Laser Lemon, Electric Lime, and Battery Charged Blue. I call these tiny color collections “micro palettes” and they help kids create bold artwork without feeling overwhelmed. Learn more about all the summery micro
palettes kids can make from Crayola’s Bright Colors marker pack here:
HOW TO MAKE This Swimsuit Craft for Kids, the Summer Clothesline
Supplies
1 piece of white cardstock, 8.5”x11”, cut in half
Crayola Ultra Washable Markers: Laser Lemon, Electric Lime, Battery Charged Blue
Scissors
Glue stick
Hole puncher
Scotch tape
White string
Optional: spray bottle
Step-by-Step Swimsuit Craft Instructions
Step 1: Draw your swimsuits and towel from rectangles
Turn ½ of your cardstock so it’s taller than wide. Divide your half piece of cardstock down the middle, from top to bottom.
Very lightly draw 3 lines from side to side, dividing the cardstock evenly into 6 rectangles.
Erase the bottom left line so you end up with 1 large rectangle and 4 small rectangles. The 4 smaller ones might look like squares.
In the 4 small rectangles, draw 4 even smaller rectangles. Draw a triangle along the bottom of 2 of those rectangles to make swimming trunks. Draw swim suits in the other 2 rectangles. Look at the photos below for reference.
Step 2: Color the Swimsuits
Use some or all of your 3 marker colors to apply a color all over the swimsuits.
If you’d like your colors a little smoother, you can spritz the paper all over with a spray bottle. Don’t go crazy, just enough water to make the paper damp.
Helping Younger Artists:
With younger artists, applying color is a great way to get them involved. They don’t even have to stay in the lines for this project!
Step 3: Add your collage details to the swimsuits and towel
Cut another rectangle from the other ½ of paper. I used about ¼ of the remaining half for this.
Color in the whole rectangle with the 3 marker colors. I chose to do 3 stripes of color, but you can do any pattern you like.
Cut out strips and punch out holes from this colored paper.
Glue the stripes and hole punches onto the swimsuits and towel in patterns you love.
We are using yellow, blue and green because those colors all mix really nicely with each other. When coloring in the scrap of paper, you can mix and overlap the colors without worrying what they will look like. Just have fun seeing what effects you get!
Step 4: Cut out swimsuits and towels
Make sure to let everything dry before cutting it all out. If your summer clothesline is a little wet that’s fine, but if it’s too soggy the paper will rip when you try to cut it out.
Helping Younger Artists:
Cutting out complicated shapes is always easier if you cut out a larger, outside shape first. Try cutting out the rectangles first, and then cutting in to get the final swimsuit shapes.
Step 5: Tape everything to the string to make your clothesline
Lay out all of the swimsuits and towels. Decide which order you would like them in.
Turn them all over, putting the last piece first and the first piece last to make sure they are in the order you want.
Tape each piece onto your string to make a clothesline.
Make sure to have 8” or more of string on each side so you have ample string for hanging and displaying your artwork.
Helping Younger Artists:
Pattern recognition is a huge skill for little kids in both early art and math. Kids can decide if they want to make a pattern with their summer clothesline pieces by how they organize the pieces.
Display Your Summer Clothesline
Time to show off your adorable summer art project!
My kiddos and I hung ours inside of the window next to our front door. It’s so sweet when their friends come to ring the doorbell and look up to see the tiny towel and swimsuits.
Where are other places this summer clothesline could be displayed? If you live in a dry place like I do you can probably hang it out on a tree or fence. If your area gets lots of summer rain it would look great inside of the screen door. Or how about hanging inside your bedroom window?
Wherever you hang your swimsuit craft for kids, it will bring a feeling of summer!
Make your Own Original Swimsuit Craft
Of course, we do all of these kids’ summer art projects for a reason.
It’s not just so that kids can get really good at following directions. It’s so that they can learn the skills they need to make summer art projects and swimsuit crafts of their own!
“Variables” are things that can be changed. Like all summer crafts for kids, this summer clothesline has a bunch of variables that kids can play with to create different outcomes.
Variables You Can Change on this Swimsuit Craft
Pick 3 different colors to use
Find other bits and pieces to collage with
How many of each piece you make
Which clothing items are on the clothesline
Creative Variations to Try
Make other seasonal clotheslines like winter wear or rainy season clothing.
Try other display options for your summer craft like making magnets, table decorations, and more.
Play with colors and patterns.
By mixing up other variables, kids can come up with swimsuit crafts that are their original creations!
With Just a Handful of Art Supplies, Kids can Enjoy an Endless Summer of Art Projects
While summer days can be filled with fun, our creative pantries do not need to be filled with every art supply or color under the sun.
A limited creative pantry can help families cut down on clutter and mess, without sacrificing creativity. As kids learn basic lessons like the hidden language of shapes and how colors mix, they become more engaged and more creative.
So break out your favorite summery colors, a couple of rectangles, and go to town on this adorable swimsuit craft for kids- summer clothesline!
If you enjoyed this Swimsuit Craft for Kids, you might also like:
FAQ’s about this Summer Clothesline, a Swimsuit Craft for Kids
What age is this swimsuit craft for kids best for?
This swimsuit craft for kids works well for preschoolers, elementary students, and mixed-age groups. Younger artists can focus on coloring and collage, while older kids can design more detailed swimsuits and patterns.
What supplies do I need for this swimsuit craft for kids?
To make this swimsuit craft for kids, you'll need cardstock, washable markers, scissors, glue, a hole puncher, tape, and string. Optional spray bottles can be used to create watercolor-style marker effects.
How does this swimsuit craft help kids learn shapes?
This summer shapes craft teaches kids how simple rectangles can become beach towels, swim trunks, and one-piece swimsuits. Learning to see objects as combinations of shapes is an important artistic skill.
Can I use different colors for this summer clothesline craft?
Absolutely! This swimsuit craft for kids can be made with any color palette. Try tropical colors, beach-inspired blues, or even a neon summer palette for a completely different look.
Where can I display this summer clothesline craft?
This summer clothesline craft looks great hanging in a window, on a bedroom wall, across a bulletin board, near a lemonade stand, or as part of other summer decorations around the house.
How can kids make this swimsuit craft their own?
Kids can personalize their swimsuit craft by changing the colors, patterns, clothing styles, decorations, and arrangement of items on the clothesline. They can even create themed clotheslines for different seasons.
Is this swimsuit craft a good summer craft for kids?
Yes! This swimsuit craft for kids combines coloring, cutting, collage, and design in one simple project. It's an easy summer craft that helps kids build creativity while making cheerful summer decorations they can proudly display.
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