Homemade Scratch Art Paper

Making scratch art paper is a great opportunity for children to see the process behind the scratch board they may have purchased or received "ready to scratch".

You will need:
white stock card or tag board
oil pastels or crayons
painters tape (optional)
black tempera paint
liquid dish detergent
paint brush- foam preferable
object for etching (toothpicks, forks, sticks....)

Taping the paper down serves several purposes. It is easier to color the entire page when it doesn't continually move. It keeps the paper from puckering when the paint is applied. It provides a stunning visual border to the art.

Have children color the entire surface area of the page with oil pastels or crayons. We used a standard 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of white card stock. If children are younger, you may consider using a half sheet or postcard sized paper. This will reduce the amount of surface they have to cover with the pastels but keep in mind they will have a smaller surface to scratch which will require smaller strokes and more fine motor control.

Once the entire sheet is colored apply the paint mix. We used 4 oz. black liquid tempera paint and about 5-6 drops of liquid dish soap, mixing well. We also used a foam brush.

We applied 2 coats but found a very thin 3rd layer was needed in a few areas on each sheet. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next coat of paint.