DIY AquaDoodle

I have been wanting an AquaDoodle for my boys for a while now. It was on their Christmas wish list (as in “I wish someone else would shell out $30 for this item so I don’t have to”). And before that it was on Cannon’s birthday wish list (didn’t get it then either). But I’m on a budget and I just can’t bring myself to spend money on an item my boys don’t necessarily *need*. I have even tried Googling and Pinteresting DIY versions of this, but NOBODY seems to be able to recreate that magical mat that stays dry while being painted on with water.

It’s now been several months since I’ve been trying to find a DIY AquaDoodle with no success. In the meantime, I’ve been quietly trying to invent something suitable myself…And I am happy to say I have finally come up with a solution 🙂

So here it is. My DIY version of an AquaDoodle:

That’s it. Really. Just a brown paper bag, decorative tape for the edges (not necessary, but makes it a little less rustic), and an envelope moistener (you can probably find these at the dollar store if you don’t have one).

The brown paper bag is thick enough to absorb the water without getting soggy, and it also dries pretty fast. Exactly the properties I needed for the mat (You don’t even have to cut the bag. Just leave it as-is and tape the edges. Very low prep for this project!) And the envelope moistener is nice because it stays moist without the fear of spilling water everywhere. There are even pen versions of these moisteners that you might want to try using 🙂

Pretty simple, huh? Is it going to last through your child’s entire toddler years? No. But at this price (nearly free), can you beat it? My boys have used and reused this several times yesterday and today with no problems. The paper will start to get a bit warped after several uses, but like I said, making a new one is a cheap (and easy) fix.

Hope this is something you can make for your munchkins 🙂 Let me know if you have any improvements- I’d love to try them out!