DIY Marbleized Paper

Our art projects have to have a serious wow factor. My boys don't have the interest or the patience to work on a piece gradually over several days. Mixed media that seems as much like magic as it does art is right up their alley.

Marbleizing paper is so much fun and surprisingly easy, too!

Before I provide a supplies list and instructions, I need to issue a disclaimer. This project stinks (literally, not  figuratively). You HAVE to work in a well-ventilated area. What you can't see in my pictures are the two windows that I threw wide open to dissipate the fumes. Nail polish smells B-A-D.

Supply List

Watercolor paper (or another paper of heavy weight)

Nail polish in as many colors as you'd like

A disposable pan that your paper will fit into

Water

Plastic to cover your work surface

Gloves

Well-ventilated space

Tool to swirl the colors with (we used the wooden ends of paintbrushes)

Instructions

1. Fill your pan with an inch or two of water.

2. Gently drizzle nail polish in the pan. The goal is to pour it thin enough that it sits on the surface of the water.

3. Add another color (or two or three).

4. Drag your tool through the nail polish until you get the desired effect.

5. Softly lay your paper on top of the water and press the corners slightly to make sure they pick up the color.

5. Carefully peel the paper off the water and set face-up to dry. We let our marbleized masterpieces dry for a full 24 hours and since they were still pretty stinky, I put them on our screened in porch outside. The more time passes, the less fragrance they emit.

There are lots of opportunities for learning with this activity. Talk to your kids about the history of marbleized paper, ask questions like "why does some of the nail polish stay on top of the water?," "Why does it cling to the paper?," etc.

Aren't they stunning?

Stop back later this week to see how we are using our marbleized paper!