Crafts Council Learning Craft learning resources Summer Craft Challenge

Spinach sun prints by Sam Hutchinson

Sam Hutchinson shows us how to make prints using the sun and objects like fallen leaves

As part of the Summer Craft Challenge, we asked photographer Sam Hutchinson to create an activity for makers of all ages and abilities using household materials. Follow the step-by-step on this page or download to print off at home. Vegetables at the ready, it's time to get those greens!

You will need the following materials:

spinach
pestle and mortar or blender
paper (watercolour paper works best)
bowl
paintbrush
old sock or tea towel
photo frame
plants or found objects

Don't forget to share your makes using the hashtags #EverydayMaking and #GetCreativeOutdoors to win prizes!

Download instructions

Spinach sun prints by Sam Hutchinson.PDF (402kb)Download

2. Scoop the spinach into a sock or tea towel and squeeze the liquid into a bowl.
1. Blend or crush the spinach into a mushy paste.

4. When it's dried, arrange your found leaves and objects on the paper.
3. Paint the spinach juice onto some paper.

6. To finish, remove the leaves when the colour has faded—it may take a couple of days to change depending on the weather. Be careful not to place your finished prints in direct sunlight as it will continue to fade.
5. Carefully secure your arrangement in a photo frame and place it in the sun or by a window.

About Sam Hutchinson

Sam Hutchinson (he/him, b. 1993, Sunderland) works with visual arts, specifically photography and sculpture, alongside appropriation, installation and publishing. He works for Village Books, runs the imprint Former Headquarters, and is a co-director of Screw Gallery.

He holds a BA from Leeds Arts University (2014), and was part of School of the Damned’s class of 2017, as well as exhibiting works and publishing worldwide.

Follow Sam on Instagram.