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Home » How to Fix Broken PanPastels

How to Fix Broken PanPastels

Filed Under: Art Tutorials, Creative Life

How to Fix Broken PanPastels - Tutorial by artist Beverly Brown | www.beverlybrown.com

PanPastels are one of my favorite art materials. I love their intense colors and rich tonal range. The only problem is they shatter easily  –  and they’re not cheap to replace. Lately I’ve been wondering if it’s possible to fix broken PanPastels.

First I contacted PanPastel to ask them if there was a way to fix them. Their “official” answer was no. However, after more research I came up with an “unofficial” solution, or hack, if you will. Essentially I’m using a popular technique for fixing compact face powder or eye shadow

Here is what I did, step by step:

How to Fix PanPastels Tutorial - Materials | Beverly Brown | www.beverlybrown.com
Materials

You’ll need: Rubbing Alcohol, a spoon, a rounded knife, a jar or other item with a smooth flat surface, a zip-lock bag, a tissue and paper towels.

How to Fix Broken PanPastels - Step 1 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 1

Remove the broken pieces of PanPastel and place them in the zip-lock bag. Leave any solid unbroken PanPastel in the original pan.

How to Fix Broken PanPastels - Step 2 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 2

Use the bottom of the spoon to crush the PanPastel pieces into a powder.

How to Fix Broken PanPastels Tutorial - Step 3 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 3

Carefully pour the powdered PanPastel back in the original pan.

How to Fix Broken PanPastels Tutorial - Step 4 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 4

Add rubbing alcohol to the PanPastel, using the cap of the alcohol bottle. The amount of alcohol depends on how much pastel you have. The goal here is to moisten the PanPastel to the consistency of very thick cake icing.

How to Fix Broken PanPastel Tutorial - Step 5 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 5

Use the knife to blend the powdered PanPastel with the rubbing alcohol.

How to Fix Broken PanPastel Tutorial - Step 6 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 6

Clean the edges of the pan with a damp paper towel. Let the PanPastel dry for about 1 hour.

How to Fix Broken PanPastel Tutorial - Step 7 | www.beverlybrown.com
Step 7

After your PanPastel has dried for an hour or so, place a tissue over the top of the pan and use your smooth object to gently press the pastel into the pan. Here I’m using the tamper from my espresso machine, but a jar cover or the bottom of a glass will work too. Carefully remove the tissue & let the PanPastel dry for at least 24 hours before using.

How to Fix Broken PanPastel Tutorial - Finished | www.beverlybrown.com
The PanPastel restored!

And here it is, almost as good as new! Let me know if you try this.

By: Beverly · In: Art Tutorials, Creative Life · Tagged: pastel art, tutorial

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela says

    March 27, 2021 at 5:02 am

    maybe a sprayer on top and then pressed would work?

    Reply
  2. Ali says

    May 4, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    Thank you so much for this. I just received two Pan Pastels that FedEx spent a full week kicking around, and they are dust. I hope I can salvage them.

    Reply
    • Kathie says

      March 3, 2021 at 10:30 am

      I had the same experience (no packing materials and they bounced around the box) and sent them back. I wish I’d had this advice then.
      I hope Pan Pastel learns how to pack them better.

      Reply
  3. jUllian says

    January 12, 2018 at 2:09 am

    So the pigment wont be affected in anyway possible? Hope it dosent affect the quality of the material ☹️

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      January 16, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Hi Jullian, It’s not a perfect solution. It won’t make them exactly like new. However, if your PanPastels are broken, this is a way I’ve found to make them usable again. I’ve not noticed a change in pigment.
      Beverly

      Reply
  4. Kayleigh Barlow says

    December 24, 2017 at 7:13 am

    I have ordered supplies, including rubbing alcohol, round dishes and soft pastels. I am going to try and create my own pan pastels, as they are a tad too expensive for me!
    Thankyou for the inspiration 🙂

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      December 24, 2017 at 4:16 pm

      Kayleigh,
      I’ve never tried to make pan pastels. Let me know how it goes.
      Beverly

      Reply
  5. Sue leatherdAle says

    October 6, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    Thank you for this. I have a number of broken palates from Pan Pastel US. Query… if this fixes them would it be possible to fuse together shavings from sharpened pastel pencils, I wonder..????

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      October 6, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Sue, I’m glad this is helpful to you. Not sure if it would work for pastel pencils.

      Reply
  6. char Leasor says

    September 6, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you so much. Fun Stampers Journey began carrying Pan Pastels last year but are sold in sets. When one is busted that is a problem. Thank you for sharing this fix!!!!!

    Reply
  7. Ellie Knol says

    January 26, 2017 at 12:14 pm

    We don’t have that type of alcohol in Holland.. would normal alcohol work as well?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      January 26, 2017 at 3:06 pm

      Hi Ellie,
      I assume it would work, however I don’t really know what the difference is between alcohol in Holland & the US.
      Best wishes,
      Beverly

      Reply
      • Ellie Knol says

        January 18, 2018 at 10:13 am

        thanks.. haven’t tried it yet, but will surely.. came across this again..

        Reply
    • Chris Dann says

      May 1, 2017 at 5:26 pm

      Try Jenever, it is about 50%, but isopropyl alcohol would need to be purchased from apotheek.

      Reply
  8. Sigrid says

    October 6, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Thanks Beverly, this is cool!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      October 6, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      You’re welcome Sigrid. I hope this helps you fix your broken PanPastels.

      Reply
  9. Angela says

    August 18, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Thanks so much! A friend shared this with me! I need it for a couple that are broken. Now, I look forward to fixing them!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      August 18, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      You’re welcome, Angela! I’m glad you found this helpful.
      Beverly

      Reply
  10. Dawn says

    July 28, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Hi Beverly,
    Thank you so much for this technique! I just bought another set of PanPastels and it came with 2 broken pans 🙁
    So, I am wondering how your repaired panPanPastel has performed, now that you have had a few months to use it.

    Thank you for any insights 🙂

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      July 28, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Dawn,
      Thanks for writing. I’ve found the repaired PanPastel to be almost as good as new – slightly less powdery than the original. However, if your PanPastels arrived broken, I think the retailer you bought them from should replace them.
      Best wishes,
      Beverly

      Reply
      • Dawn says

        July 28, 2016 at 9:08 pm

        Thank you Beverly. Actually, this was the 3rd time I ordered them from Amazon-1st time they sent the wrong color set; 2nd and 3rd time they were broken. I got tired of having to re-order so just asked them to provide a partial refund. I thought worst case I could just purchase the two broken colors separately . Thanks again for the technique and feedback 🙂
        Dawn

        Reply
        • Beverly says

          July 29, 2016 at 12:13 am

          Hi Dawn,
          What a hassle to have to keep re-ordering! Hope this repair technique works for you.
          Beverly

          Reply
  11. imdb says

    April 3, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    I wonder if this would work with broken makeup as well? As long as the alcohol dries, the eye shadows and powder blushes of the world could be useful again. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      April 3, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Thanks for commenting! Yes, it’s based on a technique for fixing broken makeup. See the last sentence in paragraph two.

      Reply

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