After living most of my adult life in a tiny New York apartment, I tend to be the opposite of a hoarder and viciously purge our stuff. The one thing I never throw out is a paper grocery bag.
My sons, who are two and four, require a lot of activities throughout the day. One of their favorites is breaking out the paint and paintbrushes at their easel. Rather than buying rolls of paper to replenish their artboards, I keep a stockpile of paper grocery bags for the occasion. One paper bag equals two canvases when cut up and even has a little handle to hang afterward. 
My favorite way to display the resulting artwork is to cut the paper up further into seasonal decorations. We have a door with a large glass window we like to decorate each month. In March, green-painted grocery bags were cut into shamrocks, followed by different-colored bags cut into flowers. It is a way for us to display something our boys created in a festive way that helps us appreciate each month of the year. 
So, if you’re looking for a zero-cost art activity, try turning your grocery haul into any of the following spring-themed cutouts.
April-themed grocery bag cutouts:
- Paint the bags white and cut out little bunny shapes once they dry. Your toddler (or you) can add little noses, eyes, and whiskers with a permanent marker before displaying them.
- Cut the bags into ovals and have them decorate their own Easter eggs
- Paint each bag a different color and cut them into flower shapes to create your garden. Paint one bag green to create the stems.
- Save the garden for next month, paint the bags blue, and cut them into raindrops to represent “April Showers.” You could also add a red-painted bag-turned-umbrella and yellow rain boots!
Happy painting!
