Mandalas are cir­cu­lar designs with radial sym­me­try and repeat­ing pat­terns.

1. Wrap your circle with tin foil, so that one side is completely covered. Wrap the sides of the foil over the edges and tape to the back.

2. Make a “handle” from tape on the back of your foam circle, so you’ll have something to hang onto while you’re painting/printing.

3. Squirt two different colors of tempera paint (about the size of a quarter each) onto the smooth foil surface. (If you use too much paint, your design will fill back in. You may need to experiment to find the optimum amount!)

4. Holding your circle by the tape handle on the back, use a paint brush/sponge brush to spread the paint in a thin layer over the entire surface. Let the two colors mix a little, but not completely. This will give you some variation of color and a more interesting design.

5. Use a cotton bud to draw a simple design with radial symmetry. Start with large divisions of space and keep adding details equally to each area until your design looks complete. You’ll need to work quickly (before your paint dries), but that’s half the fun!

6. Press your circle onto the paper. Turn the whole thing over and carefully rub the paper with your hands to transfer your design onto the paper.

7. Peel off the paper and set your print aside to dry.

8. Apply more paint, draw a new design, and make more prints!