Even though my girls are only four and two, they have already developed an interest in nail polish! Not only do they love having their own fingertips covered in sparkling, hot pink polish, but they also like to do the painting themselves. This cereal box manicure is the perfect way for them to channel their inner nail technicians! Just grab an empty cereal box, a pen, scissors, some paint, and a couple of small paintbrushes.

I try to reuse and recycle art supplies whenever I can. Cereal boxes are perfect for painting because they’re sturdy without being too thick. They’re also easy to cut and I never have to worry about paint seeping through it.

To make your hands, cut along the side of a cereal box so that it opens and lays flat. I place my hands on the box, loosely trace them, and then cut them out. Depending on the size of your box, you can make your hands as big or as small as you like. I also draw nails on the hands, but you can definitely let your kids do that step.

The paint set we have only includes the primary colors, black, and white, so each of my girls mixed together their own, custom “nail polish” color. They later went back with black and white to add accents and jewelry.

This activity is definitely more about the journey than the destination. The end result might not be fridge-worthy and that’s okay! Anytime you give children a paintbrush and a canvas, they have the opportunity to refine their dexterity and stretch their creativity. Just let them enjoy the process!

Both of my kids always have fun giving a cereal box manicure!

Do you ever repurpose household materials for art? Leave a comment and tell me about it!

If you love easy crafts, try cotton ball painting and tear art!

Talk to you soon!