Make a Paintbrush

I have made my own paint brushes on occasion, and was happy to see this in wikiHow! Try it, you'll like it.

How to Make a Paintbrush

Steps

1. Use any material that will hold paint for a brush tip: horse hair from a horse's mane or tail, grass, pieces of foam, cardboard, various plant fibers, cotton clumps, shredded strips of cloth...
   
   • Horse hair brush: gather together lengths of horse hair in the thickness and length you want. Most barns and horse boarding places might be willing to let you use old discarded horse hair. Wash it first.
     
   
   
2. Cut and shape the hair. Keep about 1-2 inches in length and about 1 inch in width.
   
3. Find a handle for your brush: try sticks from the yard, bamboo, tongue depressors or a yardstick.
   
4. Place the glue about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch around the bottom of the stick where the hair will go.
   
5. cover the glue with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the hair from one end.
   
6. Tie the string around the hair and handle. add more glue on top of the hair if you want.
   
7. Let the brush dry for however long the glue recommends, at least 2 hours.
   

Tips

• Gather all your materials together and experiment with different combinations before using any glue or twine
  
• Keep an eye out for materials in nature or other things you would normally throw out you can use for brushes
  
• Experiment! Leaves make good brushes too....
  

Warnings

• Do not use a glue gun, scissors, or any harmful materials without an adult's help if you are a child.
  

Things You'll Need

• Material for handles such as sticks, Popsicle sticks, yard sticks. Any 6 inch to 6 foot object that is thin and rigid.
  
• Material for the brush part: horse hair (mane or tail), pine needles, dryer lint, foam, etc.
  
• A binder such as Elmer's glue or wood glue, or even a hot glue gun.
  
• A length of string or twine to tie the brush material to your "stick"
  
• An adult's help if you are a child
  

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