How to make your own scratch art paper

 There are so many reasons why you would want to make your own scratch art paper – it’s a fun process kids can take part in, you can use whichever colors you want and if you need lots of sheets making them yourself is way cheaper than buying them (plus you probably have all you need at home already).

 

 How to make your own scratch art paper

What I really like about scratch art is it’s appropriate for all ages (well the ones that can handle a toothpick) and even adults tend to enjoy it as it’s therapeutic – I love doing them and it’s really relaxing.

This form of art has been known for quite a while, I remember doing it as a kid and just the other day my mother was talking about how much she enjoyed making scratch art as a kid too (mind you it wasn’t colorful :).

Making the colored background

Crayons are most commonly used to color the background but we wanted to explore different options to so here’s what we used;

  • Crayons obviously (worked naturally)

For other “techniques” you’ll have to rub the paper with a regular candle once you or your kids are done coloring

  • Acrylic colors (worked like a charm)
  • Colored pencils (worked like a charm)
  • Water colors (failed)
On the picture above we have (from left to right) acrylic sheet which I love the most as colors really blend beautifully, colored pencils and crayons.

Different age groups like to use different techniques (older kids prefer colored pens and acrylics while younger ones can go crazy with crayons) .

Painting with acrylics and waxing the paper with a candle is super quick so this technique is perfect for teachers making sheets for their students!

Making the scratch-able black overlay

When my mother was a kid they used plain black ink mixed with egg and it worked out great but we used a bit more “modern” approach.

Black (or any other color) tempera paint with just a drop of dish detergent (or soap) mixed in. This way you’ll be able to apply the color evenly on the waxed sheets.

If your kids are sensitive or you don’t want to use detergent you can mix tempera paint with egg yolk – it works out pretty much the same.

If you are using a sponge to color the sheets (and I do recommend it as it’s fast) you might see lots of tiny bubbles on the paper as you color it – they will disappear.

And that’s it! Scratch away! The scratching “experience” is the same with all sheets.

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