Painting Surfaces

This year in an effort to cut down on the amount of paper towels that we use during cleanup, I have been reusing manila folders for students to paint on.  I folded 18x24" sheets of manila tag in half and store them near the painting supplies.  When students are painting, they grab a folder and place their painting on top to work.  If the paper is larger than the folder, they can open up the folder.  They can then also place their painting on top of the folder on the drying rack, giving it more stability.  The folders last a long time.  We have significantly cut down on paper towels since less paint gets on the tables while students work.