Make Your Own Scratch Art Paper

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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?

Thanks for visiting!

 

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