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Primary Color Camp: Watercolor Markers

Refresh old, dried up markers in 3 easy steps.

by Team Primary
Primary Color Camp: Watercolor Markers

Today at Primary Color Camp, we're repurposing ordinary arts and crafts supplies in a colorful way (see what we did there?). Instead of tossing markers (or felt-tipped pens that are fading), grab a few household items and make some vibrant watercolor paint! 

 

Of course you can paint with all the colors of the wind dried up markers you have. We went for rainbow approach to show how flexible this craft is, but feel free to stick to different shades of blue, the color of the week.

 

Materials:

  • Used, dried-up markers, any color
  • Multiple small jars
  • Water
  • Paintbrush
  • Paper

 

Step 1: Fill small jars with about 3-5 inches of water.

Step 2: Uncap a marker (or two!) and place it with the tip side down in the water. Wait at least 24 hours. The more markers in your jar and the longer you wait, the more concentrated your paint will be!

markers organized by color in jars of water

Image from happyhooligans.ca

Step 3: Grab a paint brush, paper, and paint with the colored water!

rainbow watercolors in different jars with markers soaking in the water

Image from happyhooligans.ca

 

That's all it takes! Some markers that would've been trash are now a fun new way to express themselves. Take this craft to the next level and mix different colors in one jar to create new shades. We also loved experimenting with different amounts of time to see how it changed the pigment of our paint. 

 

Share your artful creations with us on social at @primarydotcom with #yesprimary and #primarycolorcamp for a chance to be featured! Check out our entire lineup of easy, DIY Color Camp activities for kids, and don’t forget to visit the Camp Shop for outfits, essentials, and more camp picks from Team Primary. 

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