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. hi, Im doin a technique like this for a project. But Ive seen it done in so many ways with the black cover! Ive heard people used india ink, some people used a blackpastel marker, and now you use tempora paint and dish detergent. Is one better than the other? if so which? please help and many thanks.

  2. I tried that with my lil sis. If u don’t want to wait two hours don’t put detergent in. Although it works much better if u just put detergent in and wait a couple of hours. Ur choice. It’s so much fun. If ur a babysitter like me, it’s a great activity to do with the kids.

  3. This is fun stuff for a rainy day…I just wanted to know if it works the same with different colors?

  4. What kind of “dish detergent” do you add? Do you mean hand washing dish soap or powdered dish soap?

  5. Great post. I’ve been looking for this exact information for a while now. Bookmarked!

  6. I think this site is great some of this ideas i never thought of. The kids love doing crafts and they cant wait to do thisa one

  7. all i have ever wanted for art is here i cant wait to try this out for the fair

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