Solar Fabric Prints
In this activity, you will
learn about the Sun and create your own fabric designs by harnessing the power of the Sun.
Supplies Required
- 100% cotton fabric (t-shirt, bandana, or a bag can all work)
- Bowl of water
- Fabric paint
- 1 Paintbrush
- Paper cup
- Flowers, petals, leaves
- Plastic trash bag
The Challenge
The Sun gives life to everything on Earth by providing warmth and light. Temperatures on the Sun can reach up to 15 million degrees Celcius. The Sun is 93 million miles away from earth but it only takes 8 minutes for the Sun’s rays to reach us. In this activity, we will use the Sun’s rays to dry wet fabric, causing water to evaporate and leaving behind a cool design!
Problem and Hypothesis
[contact-form-7 id="18628" title="STEM book form SCI 1"]Let’s Experiment and Build!
Instructions
- Cover a table or the floor with a plastic trash bag to protect it from water and paint.
- Mix a small amount of paint and water in a paper cup. It should be half water and half paint. Stir with a brush to mix. You can use as many colors as you like.
- Using a paint brush, paint the water and paint mix onto the cotton fabric.
- While paint is still wet, press flowers, petals, leaves onto the fabric. Press down firmly.
- Let fabric dry in the Sun for a few hours. The Sun’s rays are strongest between 10am and 4pm.
- Once the fabric is dry, remove the flowers, petals, leaves.
Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion
[contact-form-7 id="18626" title="STEM book form SCI 2"]Think about it and Additional Resources
Share on social media: Record a video or take a picture of your activity and post the results online using the hashtags:
#SolarFabric Prints
#ProjectExploration
#StemAtHome
Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!
For more activities like this one, go to www.projectexploration.org/stemhome. If you’re interested in learning more about Project Exploration and our free events, programs, and activities, please find us on social media and be sure to follow!
Call or text us for help: 312-772-6634
In these videos, you will…
- See another experiment about the water cycle
- Learn more about the Sun