The supplies you need for creating sand art depend on the style of art you want to create. For traditional layered sand art in a bottle, you will need coloured sand, clear bottles and funnels to pour the sand in. For sand painting or gluing sand to a surface, you’ll need glue, coloured sand, canvas, cardstock, construction paper or another paper surface to work on. You can also use a wooden skewer or chopstick to pack the sand down and create different patterns.

To keep your sand art project as clean as possible while working on it, use a rimmed tray, plate or tablecloth to help contain any spills. If you’re creating sand art in a bottle, fill the bottle to the brim and pat the sand down before sealing it with glue or a cork. Use a funnel to help reduce spills and be more precise with your artwork. If you’re working on a surface like canvas, let the art completely dry and then shake off any loose sand outdoors or over your tray.

To make sand art in a bottle, you layer different kinds of coloured sand inside a clear plastic or glass container using a funnel or straws. Then you can use tools like skewers or toothpicks to move the sand to create different patterns. The sand should fill the top of the container and be packed tightly so that the design stays permanently fixed in place to enjoy.

Creating a sand art sheet starts with using a sticky surface where coloured sand sticks to exposed glue or adhesive. You can use canvas, construction paper, cardstock, poster board or other surfaces as the base. Start by drawing your design on the surface, then apply a thin layer of glue evenly across the sections you want to colour with sand. Sprinkle the sand over the glue so it sticks to the surface, gently shake off the excess sand as you work. When you’re finished, let your art dry completely flat for 12 to 24 hours before displaying it.