DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Wax Resist Painting - Magic Halloween Scenes

Create your own spooky night full of ghosts, skeletons, and crescent moons! This easy “magic” painting craft is perfect for little ones, all you need is a crayon, some paint, and a bit of imagination. As you brush on the color, your hidden Halloween shapes will appear like magic in the night sky!

This is a fun craft for very young children to make - anyone who can wield a paintbrush can join in the spooky fun.

Materials:

• white paper (cardstock, construction paper or heavy bond computer paper work best)
• white wax crayon (crayola, etc)
• tempera paint
• paint brush

Instructions:

• Draw ghosts, skeletons, or crescent moons on the white paper using a white crayon.
  • I know drawing white shapes on white paper sounds a bit strange, but that’s part of the magic!
  • For very young children, an adult or babysitter can draw the hidden images ahead of time. When it’s time to paint, the spooky shapes will seem to appear as if by magic!
• Mix tempera paint with water to make a thin wash (about 1 part paint to 1 part water - add a little more water if the paint still looks thick). You want a very watery mixture so the white crayon designs can show through clearly.
  • If you’re doing this for the first time, test your wash on a scrap piece of paper with a white crayon scribble to make sure the paint isn’t too dark or thick.
  • You can have quite a bit of fun by preparing different wash colors and letting children use them on the same sheet to create lovely pieces of art!
• Paint over your paper with the tempera paint wash and watch your hidden Halloween images appear... ghostly shapes glowing under the moonlight!

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