# Sandpaper Art: 3 Easy Ways
> Use super fine sandpaper as a canvas in three ways: paint it with homemade liquid chalk, rub regular chalk all over it, or make a white-crayon resist with liquid watercolors. It is open-ended, kid-centric art with lovely texture.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-sand-paper-art13169/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: art-exploration, color-mixing, fine-motor, resist-art, texture
- Cautions: corn, food-dye

## Materials (one batch)
- 3 sheet Super fine sandpaper
- Cornstarch
- Water (household)
- Liquid watercolor paints
- Colored drawing chalk
- 1 piece White crayon
- 4 piece Small bowls, one per color (household)
- 1 piece Paintbrushes
- 4 piece Small weights for drying (books, cans) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of liquid watercolors: Food coloring (a few drops) (The author says either food color or liquid watercolors will tint the liquid chalk.)

## Safety
- Chalk dust: blow it away from faces and other kids, and don't breathe it in. Work in a well-ventilated spot.
- Liquid chalk, paints and chalk are art materials, not food. Supervise so kids don't put them in their mouths.
- Liquid watercolors and food color can stain hands, clothes and tables. Cover the work surface.
- Sandpaper is abrasive. Remind kids to rub chalk on the paper, not on their skin.
- If you try the crayon-and-iron print variation, an adult handles the hot iron.

## Before you start
- Cut or set out super fine sandpaper sheets, one per method for each child.
- Mix the liquid chalk (equal parts cornstarch and water plus a few drops of color) in one bowl per color.

## Steps
1. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water in a bowl and add a few drops of liquid watercolor or food color. Make one bowl per color.
2. Paint the liquid chalk onto super fine sandpaper and explore the colors.
3. Keep painting and mixing colors right on the sandpaper.
4. Let it dry and see the texture the liquid chalk makes.
5. On a fresh sheet, rub regular chalk all over the sandpaper.
6. Pretend to be the wolf and blow away the chalk dust, away from faces.
7. On another sheet, draw a design with a white crayon.
8. Wash over the crayon with liquid watercolors and watch the design show through.
9. Dry the painted sheets flat with a weight on each of the 4 corners.

## Tips
- If the liquid chalk is pretty watery, it doesn't flake off after drying. It gives the art a wonderful dimension and beautiful texture.
- Once the sandpaper dries, it tends to buckle a bit. Dry the art with weight on the 4 corners.
- Rubbing chalk on sandpaper was so therapeutic for the adult and lots of fun for the kid. It was hands-down our favorite.
- We are big fans of liquid watercolors. The vibrant color will make you pull up a chair next to your kid and PAINT.
- Color on coarse 80 grit sandpaper with wax crayons, then iron it onto muslin for a reversed, dotted print. It's a great way to introduce Pointillism. (from readers)

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Use sandpaper as a canvas and introduce these fun art activities for kids using 3 very simple methods

Ah! Feels so refreshing to sit down with the kiddos to engage in some fun open ended [**art activities.**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) We have previously explored sandpaper in our [**crayon transfer art**](https://www.funlittles.com/valentine-art-crayon-transfer-art-project/). But today's art project was completely kid-centric. Using super fine sandpaper as our canvas we paired 3 materials to create art.

**Materials**

- **[Super Fine Sandpaper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004Z4BE/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Colored Drawing Chalk](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G076E0W/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Cornstarch](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045DMLXM/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Liquid Watercolor Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SR5R2/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Crayons](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004TTI6/?tag=blmemo-20)**

***Method # 1: Art activities using sandpaper and liquid chalk.***

Equal parts cornstarch and water along with a few drops of food color or liquid water colors will give you liquid chalk.



The sandpaper turned out to be a wonderful background for experimenting with liquid chalk.



It was all about exploring and experimenting with colors on sand paper.



I think the result was stunning. If the liquid chalk is pretty watery, the chalk doesn't flake off after drying. In fact it gives the art a wonderful dimension and creates beautiful texture. I can see how these materials will be great to create a topography map. (with cornstarch you ask? Sure, why not?)



***Method # 2 : Art activities with sandpaper and regular chalk***

This one is fairly straight forward, yet the most fun. Use superfine sand paper and regular chalks to create stunning art. It was so therapeutic for the adult and lots of fun for the kid to rub chalk all over the sandpaper.



Pretending to be the wolf and blowing away the chalk dust during the art session was even more exciting.

I can visualize gorgeous geometric patterns with this chalk and sandpaper combo.



***Method # 3 : Art activities with sand paper and crayons***

The popular crayon resist technique is experimented on sand paper. Draw a design with a white crayon on superfine sand paper. Have the child wash over the crayon with some liquid water colors. We are big fans of liquid watercolors here - the vibrant color will make you pull up a chair next to your kid and PAINT.



Watercolor over sandpaper is a beautiful sight. Once the sandpaper dries, it tends to buckle a bit. So just dry the art out with weight on the 4 corners.



All the art we created on the sand paper. Our favorite? Hands down drawing with regular chalk on sandpaper.



Thanks for reading

More [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) on on our category page