Make Your Own Scratch Art Paper

Do your kids love scratch art?  Mine really enjoy the blank black canvas and the surprise of color underneth, they can create just about anything with scratch art.  I wanted to try my hand at making my own scratch art paper with a few simple supplies.  Take a look at how you can make your own scratch art paper.  

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Scratch art paper is made with simple supplies, and I mean simple.  You most likely have these in your home right now.

Scratch Art Paper Supplies

• Heavy cardstock
• Crayons
• Black acrylic craft paint 
• Dish soap
• Paint brush
• Skewer

I tried a few different types of paper and paint before settling on this supply list.  First I tried washable tempera paint, but it just didn’t cover the crayon.  This black acrylic paint works best.  It covers the crayon well and scratches off easily.

Another supply I played around with was paper, I found the heavier the paper the better.  Thin copy paper doesn’t hold up well, I used cardstock or cover stock for the best result.  Cardstock holds up to a heavy coat of paint and lots of scratching without tearing.  

To make scratch art paper, start by coloring a piece of cardstock with crayon.  Color hard so you have nice vivid shades on your paper.  I found it easiest to color a piece of cardstock then trim the edges so the color goes all the way to the edge.  This is easier for kids too. 

Next, mix 2 parts black paint with 1 part dish soap, mix well but not too fast you want to avoid bubbles in your paint.  

Using a sponge brush or wide paint brush, apply a thick coat of paint over the crayon.  Use even strokes and add a second coat if needed to cover all the color.  

Let this dry completely, it will be ready to use after about an hour but I found that if you let it really dry out for 2-3 hours the scratching works better.  

Now it’s time to have some fun.  Grab a skewer or a tool from a scratch art kit (we have lots of these left over) and start scratching.  

My kids and I really enjoy making scratch art.  The scratch art paper is so easy to make too!  We make a bunch of sheets then have fun creating colorful art when they dry. 

Have you tried scratch art before?

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