Maker Monday: DIY scratch ‘n sniff paint

Kids will love creating their own fruit-scented paint with this week’s Maker Monday activity — scratch ‘n sniff paint,. The paint is scented and colored with Jell-O and thickened with glue to give it a scratchable texture.

You can add food coloring to enhance the colors even further or to fool others with a scent they might not be expecting. Add a bit of yellow to blueberry, for example, and you’ll have green paint that looks like lime, but smells like blueberries.

One important thing: You will want to use stiff paper — index cards or card stock — to hold the paint and prevent it from soaking through.

As with all Maker Monday projects, kids can make these bookmarks with items you may have around the house or can pick up at a nearby dollar store. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below. A note to kid makers: Please work with a parent or caregiver on this Maker Monday project and always be very careful when using tools of any kind.

Maker Monday materials:

• various flavors of Jell-O powder mix (or another brand that’s similar)
• index cards or cardstock
• white liquid glue (“school glue”)
• paintbrushes
• markers
• food coloring (optional)

Maker Monday instructions:

Step One: Use markers to draw the outline of pictures on the index cards.

Step Two: Mix 1 tablespoon glue with 1 tablespoon Jell-O powder and 1 teaspoon water. If you want to make the color. even more intense or make it a bit different, add a drop or two of food coloring.

Step Three: Paint your drawing, daubing the paint thickly rather than using usual brushstrokes. As you paint your picture, stir the paint with your brush to keep it well-mixed. Have a paper towel handy for any drips.

Step Four: Once your painting is finished, allow it to dry completely overnight. Then the next day, give it a scratch to enjoy the fruity scents.

Want more at-home fun creating cool stuff and making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday projects right here. Do you have an idea for a Maker Monday craft project? If so, please share it with Kidsburgh! Send your maker activity ideas to info@kidsburgh.org.