Go Back

Skeleton Paper Bag with Bone Stamps

You'll Need

  • Black paper bags, 1 per skeleton bag
  • Thick craft foam sheet, A4, 5 mm, 1 sheet makes multiple stamps
  • White acrylic paint
  • Flat plate or tray for paint
  • Craft knife and cutting mat (adult use for stamp cutting)
  • Scrap paper for test prints

Step by Step

  • Draw a bone shape on the foam sheet in pencil: a central rectangular bar with a small circle at each of the four ends, like a classic dumbbell. The whole bone should be about 6 cm long. An adult cuts this out cleanly with the craft knife.
  • Pour a thin, even layer of white paint onto the flat plate. Dip the foam stamp into the paint, covering the surface evenly. Do a test print on scrap paper: the bone should print as a solid white shape with clean edges. If it looks blobby, there is too much paint on the stamp; if patchy, add a little more.
  • Print bones across the bag front in a scattered, casual arrangement. Some can angle left, some right, some horizontal. Leave roughly 1 cm between prints. The bag is black so each white bone pops immediately.
  • Let the printed bag dry for twenty minutes. The paint will dry slightly raised on the bag surface, which gives a pleasingly tactile result.
  • Once dry, add a simple skull face in white paint using a round brush at the top of the bag if you want a full skeleton theme. A circle with two dots for eyes and a row of small rectangles for teeth takes about three minutes.

Good to Know

Ages: 7+ with adult cutting stamp.