Sand painting is a fantastic activity for any age artist - whether it's a preschooler creating abstract art or an adult looking to try a new technique. Painting with sand creates color, texture, and dimension on any piece of art, and is an exciting way to try something new!
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Blogger Erin Reed used the same technique to create sand art on glass by painting sand onto mason jars to create a translucent and textured effect.
Decorated Upcycled Jars with Colored Sand
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Technique 1: Painting with Sand and Glue
Perhaps the most traditional of the sand painting techniques is one that uses colored sand, like Scenic Sand colored sand or Decor Sand colored sand, plain white school glue, and water.
To begin, draw a design or image onto thick paper or canvas. Then mix 6 oz. of white school glue with 2 oz. of water to thin it out. Apply a thin, even later of the glue mixture to the background of the design, and spoon colored sand onto the glued background area.
Wait for several seconds and then pour off the excess sand.
Once dry, add another coat of the glue mixture and another coat of colored sand to the background.
For solid shapes in the design, apply white school glue to the outlines and then paint the glue mixture in the inside of the design.
Apply sand to the solid shapes, one color at a time, and allow to dry thoroughly before applying different colors (otherwise the colors will mix).
Once dry, you will have a sand painting with an authentic sand texture to the touch!
Technique 2: Painting with Sand and Decoupage Medium
For sand painting that results in a slightly different look and texture, try painting with decoupage medium!
This technique involves mixing colored sand into decoupage medium until you achieve the desired strength of color.
ACTIVA® used this technique to create an 8-ft x 10-ft backdrop for our booth at the 2018 Pinners Conference in Arlington, TX as it results in a durable finish that keeps the sand firmly in place.
Technique 3: Painting with Adhesive Boards
The easiest of the sand painting methods to try is the one that uses adhesive boards for collage and colored sand. Simply remove the protective layer on the adhesive board and apply sand in any way you like!
We've created color blocked patterns and even more intricate designs on our adhesive sand art boards.
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