I realized the other day I haven’t sat down and drawn or painted in far too long. Partly because of the speed of life, but also because I just wasn’t feeling it. The things I had around the house felt too familiar, and a little bit boring.

Do you and/or your kids ever get bored with the same ol’ materials? Pencils, markers, a little bit of paint: eh, been there done that, right? Maybe it’s time to try a different approach to get the creative juices flowing. Check out some of these crazy approaches to making a mark. I’m sure you’ll be inspired to try something different around your house too.

Moss Graffiti
via Homester

How amazing is this? If we had a stone or brick wall out in the yard we would definitely give this a shot. I’m guessing it would also work inside on a board of some kind; you could hang it by a sunny window.

Yarn Drawing
via A Life Sustained

Looking for a different kind of Etch-a-Sketch? You have got to check out this cool DIY. The yarn rolls back up into the holder, ready for drawing after drawing after drawing!

Milky Way Milk Drawing
via Behance

Now this is a technique I had never heard of before. Draw your image with milk, then use heat to make it appear! I can’t wait to give this a shot.

Tape Art
via Kido Info

I’ve done this a lot with my daughter—pull out paper and tape and let them go crazy! But of course, a blank hallway wall is a great canvas too.

Hammered Flower and Leaf Prints
via Build/Make/Craft/Bake

I suppose that this wouldn’t work as well with dry fall leaves, considering it’s the moisture that transfers the colors to the page. But if you hurry, you can grab the last unchanged leaves of the season (or shop for some flower bouquets!)

Kinetic Drawing Bug
via Bloesem Kids

This DIY is great for the inventors in the group, whether that’s you or your kids. Gather your supplies and watch the amazing drawings that will ensue!

Pictured at the top of this post: Eye Dropper Drawings via the Etsy Blog.