Scratch Art is easy and fun to make and do.  If you’re not familiar with scratch art paper, it is paper with a layer of crayon covered with paint.  When you scratch through the black paint bright colors of crayon are revealed.  Making your own homemade version is very simple. Let me show you how.

Keep kids entertained with this long list of kids crafts and activities! and activities So many fun ways to make memories with children.

how to make scratch art paper

We had friends over today and we made our own homemade black scratch art paper. I am sure you have seen this cool black paper in the stores. No need to buy it when you can make it!

Scratch Art Paper Supplies

Make your own scratch paper with these easy to find ingredients.

How to Make  DIY Scratch Art Paper

First, color really hard all over your paper. It should be waxy looking with NO white showing.

scratch art scratch-art-step-1.jpg

If your friends are young you might want to draw a square on the center of the paper, not too big, and then cut it out when they are finished. This allows the edges to be colored and not destroyed.

Scratch Art Paper

After your paper is colored take black tempera paint (I used washable kids paint by Plaid that I found at Wal-Mart) and mix in a drop of liquid dish detergent. I would say maybe two tablespoons of paint with a good sized drop (like 1/4 to a scant 1/2 tsp) of regular dish detergent.

Paint your entire page with the paint. The wet paint can cause the paper to warp that is why thicker paper works well for this.

Allow the paint to dry.

black scratch art paper

Make sure all of the crayon is covered. It doesn’t need to be too thick, however, you don’t want any of the crayon peeking through the black paint.

scratch-art-step-two-finished.jpg

When the paper is completely dry (takes about an hour), you are ready to let the magic happen. Start scratching away. We used toothpicks.  An unfolded paper clip would also work.

You don’t need to scratch too hard, just enough to remove the black paint. Be careful at first and you will easily get the hang of it!

Scratch Art Ideas

What will you make? Really the ideas are endless and this is always a fun project! You might try one of these things to draw. Wouldn’t this special paper make a beautiful flower or rose! My son, of course, thought it made the perfect basketball. I love this activity because it is great for kids of all ages. Even younger kids will love to see colorful scribbles!

homemade scratch art paper

 

Does Scratch Art help you relax?

Scratch Art is a very relaxing activity. Scratching away the black paint to reveal all the different colors is so satisfying and magical.

Where can I buy Scratch Art paper?

No time to make your own? I found this scratch art paper on Amazon (affiliate link). You will have hours of fun! You can also make extra paper when you have time and save it for the future.

What are some unique craft ideas?

Kids will also love making these fun crafts.

 


About Cindy Hopper

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Comments

  1. oh wow! wish we knew of black tempera paint back then! instead of black paint, we used black oil crayon over the coloured bits! that was laborious but the effects were excellent. we were sold.

  2. Thank you for reminding me of this. It was one of my favourite activities 35 years ago. K

  3. wow! just great.. it’s always a dream of popular artists to remain “thinking as a child”. its the most creative minset. a mindset without inhibitions..

    want to test your inhibitions? look at my site for some blood-stained sanitary napkin collage art..

  4. I remember doing this in elementary school! It was so magical when the colors changed in a new area. Thanks for posting this.

  5. I’ve avoided this with my kids because I remember using india ink as the top layer. SO very happy to know we can do this with tempera paint. Thanks! This project is on our to-do list this weekend!!

  6. Oh, what a great project! We bought some rather expensive “scratch magic” paper that didn’t last long at all because my daughter loved it so much. This will be more fun. Thanks!

  7. This is cool! I don’t have black paint, but I have other colors to do this with. Can’t wait!!

  8. I just found you through Kiddley and just love this idea! I am always looking forward to creative ways of keeping my almost five year old daughter busy! Thanks for the tutorial.

  9. I too remember doing this as a child, though we used black crayon but I can see this being so much easier with paint. Thanks!

  10. Wow this is really great. Perfect for those who are child care providers. I also want to try this for my own card making. Thanks for a great pictorial.
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