Goth glue is the secret sauce behind this bold and vibrant coloring page craft! Kids will love the dramatic outlines and fun process of mixing, squeezing, and painting.
Wait, what even is goth glue?
Picture this: you’re halfway through a bottle of school glue and instead of tossing it, you turn it into a tool of artistic *drama.*
Add some black acrylic paint, shake shake shake (señora), and BAM—your black glue is ready to rock.
It outlines like puffy paint, dries with a raised texture, and instantly makes any coloring page feel and look super and cool.
It’s something teachers have been making for trillions of years, but the name “goth glue” has exploded in popularity from one of my sweet friends Andrea Nelson!
🎨 Check out this list of the best process art projects for kids, too!
The science behind black glue
Just like most art projects—there’s actual science happening in this activity.
When you combine acrylic paint and school glue, you’re essentially creating a polymer mixture that thickens and holds its shape when dried.
As the water evaporates, the pigment-rich glue dries darker and thicker than regular paint.
Kids can observe how gravity, liquid movement, and evaporation play a part in how their outlines settle.
🎨 We LOVE glue. Have you seen these other glue art projects, too?
Materials
Friends Art Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
- Partially-empty bottle of white school glue (like Elmer’s)
- Black acrylic paint
- Printed coloring page
- Watercolor paints or crayons/markers
How to make goth glue
- Start with a partially-empty bottle of white school glue.
- Add a good squeeze of black acrylic paint into the bottle.
- Put the cap on tight and shake until mixed.
- Squeeze the now black glue onto the outlines of your coloring page and let it dry completely.
- Once dry, fill the spaces with watercolor or color them in with crayons or markers.
Extensions for bigger kids, younger kids, and everyone in between
Toddlers and preschoolers can just have fun squeezing and swirling the glue—skip the coloring page and let them go wild on plain paper.
For older kids, try using black glue to outline their own hand-drawn images, names, or designs.
When I was a kid, I would spend hours drawing designs and then going back over them with glue. My mom bought glue in the gallon-sized jugs. 😂
You can also turn it into a multi-day project: outline one day, paint the next, then turn finished art into cards, bookmarks, or even framed masterpieces.
Bonus idea: black glue and watercolors would also work beautifully on canvas.
What kids are learning through making and using goth glue
This isn’t just a trendy art moment—it’s packed with learning.
Kids build fine motor skills by squeezing the glue and painting carefully inside the raised lines.
They explore cause and effect: what happens when you mix paint with glue? Why does the line stay raised?
This glue craft for kids also introduces contrast, outlining, and texture in an age-appropriate way.
And best of all, it nurtures their creative confidence in a totally hands-on way.
Conversation starters to use while you create
Turn your art time into rich conversation time with a few fun prompts:
- “What kind of character do you think would live in this artwork?”
- “If these colors had names, what would they be?”
- “How do you think the glue turns black when we mix the paint in?”
Questions like these stretch imagination, language skills, and connection—all while painting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a tablespoon or so. You want a deep black color without making it too runny.
Nope! It won’t mix the same or give the thick, bold outlines you need.
Adding the paint doesn’t really affect or alter the drying time, so it will dry in the same time as normal, uncolored glue. 🙂
LEAVE A COMMENT