Corrugated cardboard edges printed as straight raysNavy paper, gold, orange, white. An adult cuts strips of cardboard; the child prints lines out from one dot.
Cotton swab bundle stamped as a ball of dotsBlack paper, orange, yellow, white. Hold a bundle of cotton swabs with a band, dip and stamp once.
Dish brush burst, bristles pressed and turnedNavy paper, white, gold, red. Press the brush down and give it a small turn.
Fork-print fireworks fanning out from one pointNavy paper, yellow, pink, white. Press the back of a fork in paint and print it around in a circle.
Fringed cardboard tube burst, three colors overlappingBlack paper, red, gold, blue. An adult cuts the fringe; the child dips it and presses straight down.
Paper straw with one end snipped and splayed, printedBlack paper, pink, lime, white. An adult snips the end into strips; the child presses it flat to print.
Pipe cleaner star stamp bent into a burstBlack paper, silver, purple, teal. An adult twists the stems into a star; the child dips and presses.
Pom-pom on a clothespin dabbed in ringsBlack paper, blue, pink, yellow. Clip a pom-pom, dip it and dab rings from the outside in.
Round sponge stamp ringed with cotton swab sparksBlack paper, red, orange, yellow. Stamp the round sponge, then dot a ring of sparks around it.
Scrunched foil ball tapped on as crackling sparksNavy paper, gold, white. Dab a foil ball in paint and tap it lightly in a round patch.
Small sponge dots drifting down beneath a stamped burstBlack paper, gold, yellow. Stamp the burst, then dab a few fading dots falling below it.
Toy car tracks rolled outward like a starburstBlack paper, red, white, blue. Roll the wheels through paint, then out from the middle in every direction.
Brush on black 12
Ball of dots, large in the middle and tiny at the rimBlack canvas, pink, white. Dot with a cotton swab from the middle outward.
Chrysanthemum shell: every line dotted with sparksBlack canvas, blue, white, silver. Pull long lines from the middle and dot along each one.
Falling sparks as short dashes that fade awayBlack canvas, gold, orange. Press the dashes lighter and lighter as they drop.
Gold star inside a wider shell of red linesBlack canvas, red, gold. Paint a small gold star, then long red lines around it.
Grand finale, bursts overlapping from edge to edgeBlack canvas, six bright colors. An adult squeezes out the colors; overlap bursts until little black is left.
Peony burst, a full round ball of colored dashesBlack canvas, red, white, pink. An adult traces a plate lightly; fill it with short dashes pointing outward.
Pinwheel firework winding out in a spiralBlack canvas, yellow, pink, white. Start in the middle and wind outward, then dot sparks off the edge.
Ring firework, a hoop of dots with an empty middleBlack canvas, teal, white. An adult chalks around a lid; dot along the chalk line.
Thin lines pulled outward from one bright dotBlack canvas, yellow, orange, white. Start each line at the dot and lift the brush as you pull away.
Trio of bursts, big, middle and small, climbing the canvasBlack canvas, green, purple, gold. Paint the largest first and tuck the others behind it.
Weeping willow shell, gold strokes arcing up and overBlack canvas, gold, pale yellow. Pull each stroke up, over and down like a fountain.
Wiggly rocket trail climbing to a small starBlack canvas, white, orange, yellow. Wiggle one thin line up, then star it at the top.
Watercolor and resist 12
Bursts drawn with a plain white candle, shown by a washPaper, an unlit white candle, purple watercolor. An adult supplies the candle; draw, then wash color over it.
Crayon bursts doubled in a painted puddlePaper, crayons, gray and navy watercolor. Draw each burst twice, one upside down, then wash the lower half gray.
Drops of color spreading on a wet dark skyWatercolor paper, navy, yellow, pink. Wet the sky first, then touch in color and watch it spread.
Masking tape rays under a navy washPaper, masking tape, navy watercolor. Stick strips out from one point, wash over them, let dry, then peel.
Oil pastel bursts over a painted skylinePaper, oil pastels, navy watercolor. Draw the bursts and the buildings, then wash the night over both.
Pale dots lifted out of a damp blue washWatercolor paper, deep blue. Paint the wash, then press and twist a clean cotton swab to lift pale dots.
Pink and blue wash with gold crayon sparks on topPaper, pink and blue watercolor, gold crayon. Let the wash dry, then draw sparks over it.
Rainbow crayon bursts under a black washWhite paper, bright crayons, black watercolor. Press hard with the crayons so the wax keeps the wash off.
Soft-edged bursts painted on damp paperWatercolor paper, red, gold, navy. Paint lines out from a dot while the paper is damp so they feather.
Table salt scattered over wet indigo for starry marksWatercolor paper, indigo, violet, table salt. An adult hands over the salt; sprinkle it on the wet wash.
White crayon bursts that appear under a dark washWhite paper, white crayon, navy watercolor. Draw the bursts hard in crayon, then wash dark blue over everything.
White glue bursts left to harden, then washed overCardstock, white school glue, blue and violet watercolor. An adult helps squeeze the lines; wash once the glue is hard.
Scenes 12
Bursts above a lit Ferris wheel, its spokes drawn in whiteBlack canvas, white, pink, teal. Trace a plate for the wheel and star the sky over it.
Bursts crossed by the dark bars of a bedroom windowBlack canvas, purple, gold, white. Paint the bursts, then a cross of window bars over them.
Bursts over a snowy roofline at midnightBlack canvas, white, silver, blue. An adult sponges the snow line; add the bursts above it.
Family on a blanket watching from a hilltopNavy canvas, orange, white, black. Paint small dark figures from behind along the bottom edge.
Fireworks above a striped carnival tentBlack canvas, red, white, gold. Paint the tent as a striped triangle with a flag and the bursts over it.
Fireworks mirrored in a lake at nightBlack canvas, blue, gold, white. An adult tapes the waterline; paint each burst above it and a softer copy below.
Fireworks over a harbor, masts in silhouetteBlack canvas, gold, red, navy. Paint the bursts first, then black boats and masts along the bottom.
Long bridge with a burst above every archNavy canvas, white, gold, red. An adult rules the bridge line; add the arches and a burst over each.
One enormous burst above one tiny houseBlack canvas, gold, white, red. Fill the sky with the burst and keep the house tiny.
Orange bursts framed by a pair of black palm trunksNavy canvas, pink, orange, black. Paint the palms as black shapes and the bursts between them.
Pink and white bursts rising behind dark city towersNavy canvas, pink, white, yellow, black. Paint the bursts, then black buildings over their lower edges.
Row of raised hands beneath a gold burstBlack canvas, gold, yellow. Paint a row of small dark hands along the bottom, fingers spread.
How it works
A firework is lines or dots leaving one middle point, so almost any tool can print one. These ideas are sorted by how the burst is made: stamped, brushed on black, watercolor and resist, or set in a scene.
Read the full guide
Firework art ideas by tool
Stamped bursts use a cardboard tube cut into a fringe, a fork or a bundle of cotton swabs. Brushed bursts are thin lines pulled out from a dot on black. In a resist, wax crayon keeps a dark wash off the paper, so White crayon bursts that appear under a dark wash show up as the paint goes on.
Shapes real fireworks make
A peony is a round ball of colored stars. A willow has long gold or silver stars that droop like a weeping willow: Weeping willow shell, gold strokes arcing up and over pulls each stroke up, over and down.
Help, under More filters, shows which ideas a child can do alone and which an adult sets up.
Black paper or a black canvas does the night for you.
Questions and answers
What can I use to paint fireworks?
A cardboard tube cut into a fringe, a fork, a bundle of cotton swabs, a sponge or a thin brush. The resist group uses wax crayons or oil pastels under a dark watercolor wash.
How do you paint fireworks with a fork?
For Fork-print fireworks fanning out from one point, press the back of a fork into paint and print it. Turn the paper a little and print again until the prints make a full circle.
How does salt make a firework sky sparkle?
Salt sprinkled on a watercolor wash while it is still wet leaves small pale blooms in the color. In Table salt scattered over wet indigo for starry marks, those blooms stand in for sparks.
Which firework paintings can a child do alone?
35 of the 48 are marked A child can do it alone: stamps, cotton swab dots, crayon and wash. The other 13 need an adult to cut, tape or set something up first.