Create A Spring Summer Landscape
Paint and build a spring-to-summer landscape using watercolors, collage, and recycled materials; learn about seasonal colors, layering, perspective, and simple composition.
About this activity
Paint and build a spring-to-summer landscape using watercolors, collage, and recycled materials; learn about seasonal colors, layering, perspective, and simple composition.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Choose three spring colors and three summer colors from your watercolors.
- 2
Step 2
Put the chosen paints out on your palette or plate.
- 3
Step 3
Fill your brush and lightly wet the top half of the watercolor paper with clean water.
- 4
Step 4
Paint a smooth left to right sky gradient starting with spring colors on the left and blending into summer colors on the right.
- 5
Step 5
Let the painted sky dry completely.
- 6
Step 6
Lightly draw a horizon line and simple shapes for hills trees and flowers with a pencil.
- 7
Step 7
Paint the ground shapes using different green mixes to show spring on one side and summer on the other.
- 8
Step 8
Cut or tear recycled materials into shapes for trees flowers houses or other landscape pieces.
- 9
Step 9
Arrange the cut collage pieces on your paper without gluing to plan the layout.
- 10
Step 10
Glue the background collage pieces onto the paper.
- 11
Step 11
Glue the middle ground and foreground collage pieces onto the paper.
- 12
Step 12
Use watercolors or coloring materials to add details textures shadows and highlights to the scene.
- 13
Step 13
Glue small 3D recycled bits like fabric scraps or bottle caps to add texture.
- 14
Step 14
Sign your name on the artwork.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I make a spring-to-summer landscape using watercolors, collage, and recycled materials?
Start by choosing paper orientation and lightly sketching a horizon and simple shapes for foreground, middle ground, and background. Paint a loose watercolor wash for the sky (wet-on-wet) and add mid- and foreground colors in layers, letting each layer dry. Tear or cut recycled papers, fabric, and cardboard to collage trees, flowers, and textures onto the dried paint. Add details with crayons or markers, glue pieces in overlapping layers for depth, and finish with a light seal if desired.
What materials do I need to create a spring-to-summer landscape with watercolors and collage?
You’ll need watercolor paper or heavy cardstock, watercolor paints, a few brushes (flat and round), water cup, palette, and paper towels. Collect recycled materials like magazines, cardboard, tissue paper, and fabric scraps. Add scissors, glue stick and white craft glue, pencil and eraser, crayons or markers for details, masking tape to secure edges, and a smock or old shirt. Optional extras: salt or a sea sponge for texture and stickers for embellishment.
What ages is this create-a-spring-to-summer-landscape activity suitable for?
This activity suits children roughly ages 4–12. Preschoolers (4–5) enjoy painting and basic collage with adult help—offer pre-cut shapes to avoid sharp scissors. Elementary kids (6–9) can mix colors, plan layers, and practice simple perspective with guidance. Older children (10–12+) can explore more advanced composition, texture techniques, and sustainable material choices. Adjust complexity and supervision based on each child’s fine-motor skills and attention span.
What are the benefits of painting a spring-to-summer landscape, and are there safe variations?
This project builds color recognition, layering and composition skills, fine motor control from cutting and gluing, and environmental awareness by reusing materials. It also sharpens observation of seasonal changes and encourages creative storytelling. For safety, use non-toxic paints, supervise scissors and strong adhesives, and protect surfaces and clothing. Variations include creating an autumn or nighttime scene, using only natural materials, or turning the collage into a folded greeting car
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have watercolor paper or a paint palette?
Use heavyweight mixed-media paper or thick cardstock instead of watercolor paper and a clean paper plate or ceramic saucer as your palette, and if you don't have watercolors substitute diluted washable tempera or food coloring.
My sky gradient looks streaky or the colors won't blend—how can we fix it?
Follow step 3 by lightly wetting the top half with clean water, load less pigment on your brush and paint left-to-right in overlapping strokes while tilting the paper and using a clean damp brush to soften joins, then let the painted sky dry completely as directed in step 5 before drawing the horizon.
How can I change the activity for different ages?
For toddlers and preschoolers use larger pre-cut recycled collage pieces and a glue stick instead of tiny 3D bits like bottle caps, for elementary kids have them mix spring and summer greens in step 7, and for teens add detailed watercolor textures in step 11 or create layered pop-up collage elements.
How can we enhance or personalize our spring-summer landscape after finishing the basic steps?
After signing your name on the artwork, glue extra 3D recycled bits like fabric scraps and bottle caps for texture, add highlights with colored pencils or metallic paint, make a cardboard frame, and photograph the piece to share on DIY.org.