Many of us do not live in regions where natural sand is available and most of us would rather not have to visit the craft store every time there is a craft project that can be done. So instead of buying new materials every time there is a project to be done, why not use what you already have! This principle certainly applies to sand art crafts. With some simple ingredients that you likely already have in your home, you can make beautiful sand craft art. Here are some steps explaining just how easy it is to make sand crafts with household ingredients.
How to make sand:
You too can make salt into multi colored sand by using salt, food coloring and a re-sealable bag. Start by pouring half a cup of salt into a resealable bag. Add several drops of food coloring into the bag of salt. Make sure to close the bag tightly and then use your fingers (on the outside of the bag) to mix the color into the salt. The more food coloring that you put into the bag, the more vibrant the color of the salt will be. Make sure that as you mix the coloring into the sand that you break up any clumps that form in the salt. The liquid food coloring could start to dissolve chunks of the salt if you do not blend them very well. When the salt and food coloring are mixed together well, pour the salt in a thin layer on the newspaper and let it dry. You want to make sure that you give the sand enough time to dry, or when you mix it with other sand you could have a big clumpy mess on your hands. You will want to repeat this process for each color of salt sand that you want to make.
Be sure that you give each bag of colored salt its own piece of newspaper so that you do not accidently blend colors together. When all the colors are dry, pick up the papers one at a time and pour the salt back into their individual re-sealable bags or you can make a salt sand container by using an empty egg carton that has been cleaned. Use the different egg compartments too keep your colored salt separated. Now you are ready to fill a jar or to make another type of sand salt art craft.
Find a new use for it:
If glass jars are hard to find in your house, try to find a substitute. Any used jelly or mustard jar will work. Or, if you are looking for a less breakable alternative, try using empty plastic peanut butter containers. If it is clear, chances are that you can give a container a new life by filling it with sand art. You could even use your clear re-usable containers to cut down on waste even further. If you are having a hard time finding clear containers with lids, you can use an open container, like a plastic cup, and seal the top closed with plastic wrap and a rubber band. There are no rules dictating how to make sand art, so long as you make your crafts with safety and practicality in mind, you can explore numberless options.
Another salt sand craft idea:
Now that you have all of that wonderful and colorful salt sand art, you can make a sand drawing. To do this you will want to start by drawing a design on a piece of construction paper. Use a paintbrush and some watered down glue (about 1 part glue to 1 part water) to paint glue in the areas where you want only one specific color of salt sand to stick. Sprinkle or pour the first color over the areas you painted with glue. Wait a few minutes to allow the salt to stick to the glue on the page and then hold the paper over a tray or piece of newspaper to let the “extra” salt fall off the painting. Gather and re-bag the leftover salt. Repeat these steps as many times as you need to complete your art project.
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