This page features recipes for various art and craft paints and dyes. Click on the name of the craft paint or dye that interests you to be taken directly to that craft paint or dye recipe.
Face and Body
Paint
1/2 cup baby lotion
1/2 tsp. dish detergent
powdered tempera paints
Mix all ingredients and store in air-tight jars. (Baby food jars work well.)
Use painbrush to paint designs on skin. Paint will wash off easily, thanks
to the detergent.
Mix shortening and cornstarch until smooth. Add food colouring, one drop at a time desired color is achieved. Store in air-tight containers. This paint works well to cover large areas. (I used a mixer to mix up a pint of this stuff, then painted all my first graders' faces green one St. Patrick's Day.) Applying with a brush can be tricky, so use the recipe below for more detailed face painting.
Tip: Omit the coloring to create a white "base paint" for clown faces.
Scented Finger
Paint
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 pack unflavoured gelatin
1 pack unsweetened Kool-Aid
3 cups water
Mix 3/4 cup cold water with the cornstarch and Kool-Aid to make a paste.
Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Set aside.
Bring 2 cups of water to boil and slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring
until the mixture is completely dissolved. Continue cooking over medium heat,
stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and clears. Remove
from heat, and stir in gelatin. Cool and store in an air-tight container.
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Pudding Finger
Paint
1 4-serving pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
Mix pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk. Use different flavors of pudding for
different colors of paint.(Vanilla may be tinted with food coloring.) "Paint"
designs on wax paper, then eat. Finger-licking good!
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Texturized Finger
Paint
This paint, made from only the most
basic ingredients, is not your typical smooth fingerpaint; however, young
students seem to enjoy the grainy mixture, and they also like the feel of
the finished product.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup water
food coloring OR tempera paint
Mix flour and salt, then add water. Mix untill all three ingredients are
thoroughly blended. Add a few drops of liquid food coloring or tempera paint
(dry or liquid) until desired color is reached. If necessary, you may add
additional flower and salt in the following proportions: two teaspoons of
flour, followed by one teaspoon of salt; alternate until desired consistency
is reached.
Mix egg yolk with water, then add food coloring until intense color is reached.
Use a paint brush to paint on pre-baked cookies. After painting, return cookies
to the oven until egg paint has solidified.
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Milk
Paint
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
food coloring
Add a few drops of food coloring to sweetened condensed milk until desired
color is achieved. When this paint dries, it will be very shiny.
Note: This edible paint is perfect for decorating holiday cookies.
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Pudding Finger
Paint
1 4-serving pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
Mix pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk. Use different flavors of pudding for
different colors of paint.(Vanilla may be tinted with food coloring.) "Paint"
designs on wax paper, then eat. Finger-licking good!
Pour flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water, stirring until mixture
is smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Allow to cool,
then measure 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of 4 small jars.
Pour flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water, stirring until mixture
is smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Allow to cool,
then measure 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of 4 small jars.
Water Color
Paints
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. glycerine
food coloring
Mix vinegar and baking soda in a large container. (The mixture will bubble
up.) Gradually add cornstarch and glycerine to the mixture. Poor paint into
small paper cups and add lots of food coloring. Use more than you think you
need. The color will become less intense as it dries. Add food coloring.
The color is not as intense when it is dry so remember to add a lot of food
coloring. When paint dries, peel away paper. Store dried paints in moisture-free
container.
Puffy Paint
The following mixture allows students
to create interesting texture artwork.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup hot water
liquid tempera paint
Mix together equal amounts of flour, salt, and hot water. Mix until ingredients
are disolved. (Additional heating may be required._ Add liquid tempera paint
until desired color is achieved. Store mixture in air-tight squeezble bottles.
(Empty glue bottles work well.)
Snow Paint
Use this paint, made from shaving cream and white glue, to create 3-D snow scenes. Use fingers and paint on black or dark blue construction paper. After paint dries well (24 hours or more), details may be added using markers or felt tip pens.
1 can shaving cream
1 8 oz. bottle of white glue
Spray shaving cream into a small dishpan or tub. Drizzle glue on top. Mix thoroughly. Scoop paint onto disposable plates and provide one plate per group of two to three children. Paint may be left thick in spots (up to a quarter inch or more) for texturing, but projects will need to dry for at least 24 hours.
Texturized Finger
Paint
This paint, made from only the most
basic ingredients, is not your typical smooth fingerpaint; however, young
students seem to enjoy the grainy mixture, and they also like the feel of
the finished product.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup water
food coloring OR tempera paint
Mix flour and salt, then add water. Mix untill all three ingredients are
thoroughly blended. Add a few drops of liquid food coloring or tempera paint
(dry or liquid) until desired color is reached. If necessary, you may add
additional flower and salt in the following proportions: two teaspoons of
flour, followed by one teaspoon of salt; alternate until desired consistency
is reached.
Topography
Paint
1 cup powdered tempera paint
1/4 cup wallpaper paste
1/2 cup liquid laundry starch
Thick paint is ideal for creating topographical maps. Mix tempera paint and
paste, stirring until smooth. Add liquid starch until mixture is spreadable.
Use plastic knives or popsicle sticks to spread on heavy paper.
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