How to make Black Glue
We do love to share some “craft basics” with you every so often – basically because it makes things easier to bookmark, as well as make other projects easier to share, without having to burden you will all the craft basic details each time… and today is another such post: How to make Black Glue! Black glue is a fabulous art material, great for glue art projects such as glue painting techniques. Black glue is simply gorgeous combined with a watercolours and makes the perfect glue and water colour projects. You CAN buy black glue online (or at least in some countries) and you can get different types – some with added glitter and others that are waterproof (great for glue fabric art projects). But today, I show you how quick and easy it is to make your own black glue.. for whatever glue art project you have in mind whether it is Black Glue and Watercolour Resist art or paper stained glass art projects.. DIY Black glue is simply fabulous! Do check out this FANTASTIC set of BLACK GLUE Ocean Art (including printables) for summer inspiration!
If you need your homemade black glue DIY to have certain qualities (e.g. washing machine proof/ dishwasher safe), I would recommend starting of with a White Glue that has those qualities and the following the process shared below. BUT. I also recommend that you test these DIY glues out first before using for big art projects or in a group settings, to make sure that your DIY black glue really works the way you want it to!
How to Make Black Glue – Materials
- White Glue/ PVA Glue – such as Elmer’s Glue or School Glue (e.g. US/ UK)
- Black paint (we used these paints US/ UK)
- A small mixing container with a nozzle (US/ UK)
- A stirrer of sorts (we used a coffee stirrer)
As mentioned you can simply buy black glue it here too – US/ UK
Affiliate links added for convenience!
Some tips on using Black Glue
Working with black glue is really fun and the results are stunning. Some tips for working with black glue for best results:
- Make sure the nozzle of your glue dispenser is clear – I use a needle to make sure it is clean before starting
- Wipe the nozzle with a damp tissue
- Shake your bottle to make sure all the glue is near the nozzle and there are no (or few) air pockets
- Squeeze a little of your black glue onto some test paper first – so you can get a feel for flow and also avoid any “blobs” of glue squirting out
- Try and make long continues lines – but break every so often to give yourself a rest
- Remember.. the black glue may look “splodgy” in places.. but once you have added watercolours, you won’t noticed them and the results will look great. So don’t fret too much about “mistakes”
- It is important to let your glue dry FULLY before using your watercolours!
How to Make Black Glue
As per usual we have both a short video (with some short Black Glue Art examples) for you to watch.. or you can follow the written how to make black glue instructions below! Remember to bookmark this Black Glue DIY, as well as make some of your own black glue (get those little squeezy bottles ordered) as we have LOTS of Black Glue Art projects coming you way. We love glue drawings and watercolour projects!!! Using Elmer’s glue or similar, will result in a great black glue that is perfect for black glue art projects on canvas and on paper. It SHOULD (!) also work for embellishing school backpacks and pencil cases – but I encourage you to experiment and test.
So. Making Black Craft Glue, really is easy. You can turn any white school glue into black glue.. take Elmer’s glue.. and quickly turn it into Elmer’s Black Glue.. or whatever brand you wish. You don’t have to get Michael’s black glue or Walmarts Black Glue, but can make your own. So the process:
- You WILL need a container with a nozzle of some sort.. as you will need to be able to squeeze your glue out. Using brushes or DIY piping bags, will just be messy. I used a small bottle of glue that already had a nozzle (and I didn’t need the glue within to be plain or white). Ideally you will have used some of the glue already, so that there is space for black paint.
- Carefully squirt some black paint into your glue bottle. There is no real rule as to how much you add.. I kind of went with “more is more”, but it also made it a bit messier.
- Use a coffee stirrer or similar to mix it up as best you can.
- Be sure to white the rim of your black glue bottle clean before adding the lid back on. You don’t want to accidently glue the lid on and not be able to reuse the bottle.
- And your DIY Black Glue is ready to be used for Black Glue and Watercolor resist projects!!! Whoop.
Fabulous inspiration for BLACK GLUE Ocean Art here – this includes some great printables too!
Looking for some Black Glue and Watercolor Resist Art inspiration – here are some great ideas –
- Owls from Pink and Green Mama
- Easy Stained Glass Valentines from The Artful Parent
- Gorgeous Easter Eggs from I Heart Crafty Things