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How to Make a Scratch Board

Scratch board is a technique where you create a work of art by scratching paint off of a surface instead of putting it on. This is an easy activity that even young children can quickly master, and it can be fascinating to those who have never used it or heard of it. All you need are a few common household items and kids' art supplies to make a scratch board.

Things You'll Need

Empty cereal box
Scissors
Crayons
Soft rag
Dish soap
Black tempera paint
Paint brush
Paper clip
Tape (optional)
Finishing nail (optional)
Pencil (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Cut an empty cereal box along the scores to create a single art board. Lay it on your work surface with the printed side down.
- 2
  Color the entire sheet of art board brightly with crayons. Make random shapes, patches and stripes of color, then press down very hard with the crayons. The thicker the layers of color, the better your scratch board art results.
- 3
  Rub the entire colored scratch board surface lightly with a clean, soft rag to remove loose bits of crayon and "polish" some of the waxy finish off of the colors.
- 4
  Stir two or three drops of dish soap into a container of black tempera paint and blend thoroughly. The soap will make the paint stick better to the waxy, slippery crayon surface.
- 5
  Apply a thick layer of the paint to the entire colored scratch board with a paint brush. Brush the first coat on from top to bottom. Let the paint dry. Brush on a second coat of paint and stroke it from left to right. Let the paint dry.
- 6
  Bend a paper clip open to make a stylus tool for scratching.
- 7
  Scratch the black paint off of the scratch board with the stylus tool to reveal the bright crayon underneath. Use the stylus like a pencil to "draw" a picture.

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