It can take awhile for the bean mosaic art to come together, but it’s a very tactile and relaxing process. Experiment with different colours and designs for a cool indoor activity that both kids and adults will enjoy!
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Helpful Tips:
What is the best glue for bean mosaics?
We used white school glue to make our bean mosaic. It dries nice and clear, and it takes long enough to dry that you can add your design without rushing. Tacky glue is another great option. It’s a bit thicker and may help keep the beans in place once added to the canvas.
What beans can I use to make bean mosaic art?
There are so many varieties of dried beans and legumes that look great on these works of art! In our bean mosaics we used:
romano beans yellow whole peas chickpeas white kidney beans black eyed peas black turtle beans
You could also use:
split peas lentils pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds popcorn kernels navy beans lima beans great northern beans pinto beans
You can also buy a bean mix, meant for soup, to get a bunch of options in one bag!
What makes the best base for a bean mosaic?
We used a 5 x 7 dollar store art canvas to create our bean mosaic art. It’s a nice, sturdy base for the mosaic, and it doesn’t warp under the glue. You can also use a tile, wooden board, cardboard, a sturdy paper plate, or cardstock. We used cardstock to test some of our mosaic patterns, and while it did warp a bit, it actually became quite hard and sturdy after it dried.
What type of bean mosaic can I make?
There are so many different kinds of mosaic art you can makes with beans, legumes, and seeds. Try one of the following options:
Make an abstract design with lines and shapes Create a geometric pattern or a mandala Make a landscape picture including grass, the sky, and the sun Fill in nature themed shapes, like flowers, leaves, or a rainbow Create a portrait of a person or an animal
Use up those ancient beans from the back of your cupboard and create a fun bean mosaic! Leave the beans their natural colours, or dye them with food colouring beforehand. You could even paint the beans with acrylic paint after they’re glued in place for a fun rainbow look!
Here’s even more fun craft ideas:
Fall Bean Mosaics
DIY Yarn Art
How to Dye Pumpkin Seeds
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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