Finger Paint Recipes

Cornstarch Finger paint
3 tbsps. sugar , 1/2 cup cornstarch , 2 cups cold water , Food coloring , Soap flakes , or liquid dishwashing soap
Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold water and stir until mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Divide into four or five portions (in muffin tins or cups). Add a drop or two of food coloring to each portion and a pinch of soap flakes or soap. Stir and let cool. Store in airtight container.

Flour Finger Paint
1 cup flour , 2 tbsp salt , 1 1/4 cup hot water , 1 1/2 cup cold water , Food coloring ,or tempera paint
Put flour and salt in a saucepan and add add cold water. Beat with a whisk or rotary beater until smooth. Add hot water and boil until mixture is thick. Beat until smooth. Keep in refrigerator and add food coloring as needed.

Laundry Starch Finger Paint
1 cup laundry starch dissolved in cold water , 1 qt boiling water , 1 cup pure white soap flakes or powder, Food coloring or poster paint
Add boiling water to starch and cold water mixture and boil until thick. Remove from heat and stir in soap. Divide into small containers and add food coloring as desired.

Liquid Starch Finger paint
1/4 cup liquid laundry starch, 2 drops food coloring , or 1 tsp. tempera paint
Mix ingredients in small plastic bowl until blended.

Paint Recipes [top]

Condensed Milk Paint
1 cup condensed milk , Food coloring,
Mix one cup condensed milk with a few drops of food coloring. This makes a very bright, glossy colored paint.

Poster Paint
1/4 cup flour , 1 cup water , 3 tbsps. powdered tempera paint , 2 tbsps. water , 1/2 tsp. liquid starch or liquid detergent
Measure flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Add 1/4 cup flour paste into small jar or plastic container. Add tempera paint and water for each color. For opaque finish add liquid starch. For glossy finish had liquid detergent.

Frosting Paint (non-edible)
1 cup powdered tempera paint , 2 tbsps. wallpaper paste , 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid laundry starch
Mix tempera paint with wallpaper paste. Add starch, mixing until thick enough to spread - like frosting. Place paint on a plastic lid and use popsicle sticks to spread.

Face Paint
1 tsp. corn starch , 1/2 tsp. water , 1/2 tsp. cold cream , Food coloring
Stir together starch and cold cream until well-blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring. Using a small brush paint designs on child's face. Remove with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Face Paint for larger areas
1 tbsp. solid shortening , 2 tbsps. cornstarch ,Food coloring
Mix shortening and starch together until smooth. Add food coloring. Use a sponge or your fingers to apply to face. Great for turning faces green on Halloween. Remove with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Egg Yolk Paint
1 egg yolk , 1/4 tsp. water , Food coloring
Mix egg yolk with water and lots of food coloring. Use a paint brush to paint on baked cookies. Return cookies to oven until egg has solidified.

Playdough Recipes [top]

Creative Dough
1 cup flour , 2 teaspoons cream of tartar , 1/2 teaspoon slat , 1 cup water ,1 tablespoon vegetable oil ,1 teaspoon vanilla, optional , about 15 drops of food coloring, color of your choice
Cook all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, stirring real hard until mixture forms a ball. About 4 mins. Remove from pan and let sit for about five mins. Knead briefly and the dough is ready to use. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Use half the recipe, and make two different colors.

Oatmeal Playdough
1 part flour , 1 part water , 2 parts oatmeal
Mix all ingredients until smooth. Knead. Non-edible but not toxic if eaten by mistake.

Uncooked Playdough
1 cup cold water , 1 cup salt , 2 tsp. vegetable oil ,3 cups flour ,2 tbsps. cornstarch , Tempera paint or food coloring
Mix water, salt, oil and enough paint to make bright colors. Gradually work flour and cornstarch to consistency of bread dough.

Koolaid Playdough
1/2 cup salt , 2 cups water , 2 tbsps. salad oil , 2 cups flour , 2 tbsps. alum , Koolaid for color
Boil salt in water until salt is dissolved. Add Koolaid for color. Add salad oil, flour and alum. Knead or process until smooth. Keeps for two months or longer.

Colored Playdough
1 cup flour , 1 tbsp vegetable oil , 1 cup water ,1/2 cup salt , 2 tsp. cream of tartar ,Food coloring
Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until ball forms. Knead until smooth.

Salt Playdough
1 cup salt , 1 cup water , 1/2 cup flour,
Mix ingredients and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when thick and rubbery. As mixturecools, knead in enough flour to make a workable dough.

Peanut Butter Playdough
18 oz. peanut butter , 6 tbsps. honey ,Non-fat dry milk , Cocoa for flavor
Mix all ingredients, adding enough dry milk to give make dough pliable. Shape, decorate with edible treats, and eat!

Simple Playdough
3 cups flour , 1 1/2 cups salt , 6 tsp. cream of tartar , 3 cups cool water , 3 Tbsp oil , Food coloring
Mix dry ingredients in a big cooking pot. Blend liquids together in a bowl. Combine with dry ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and can be pinched without sticking (about 5 min.) Turn onto board or counter and knead until smooth play dough consistency. Store in an airtight container.

Potato Dough
4 or 5 potatoes , 1 - 1 1/2 cups flour , Bake 4 or 5 potatoes, in the skin, until soft inside.
Peel, and disgard peel. Mash potatoes, I use a potato, ricer, so I get a nice fine, even texture. Combine 1 - 1 1/2 cups of flour to every 2 cups of mashed potatoand form a dough. My son loves playing with this dough, just so he can eat the scrapes. It has no raw eggin it, and leaving it out for a bit, there is nothing in it to spoil. The color will grey after a while, but if you add food coloring, when you make it, you won't even notice. If you have extra, roll it is balls and press your thumb in one side, and roll it across the back side of a fork. Cook in boiling water for 1 min. and serve either with tomato sauce or butter or even brown gravy. They taste great.

Clay Recipes [top]

No-Bake Craft Clay
1 cup cornstarch , 1 1/4 cups cold water , 2 cups baking soda , Food coloring , Paint
Mix all ingredients except paint in saucepan over medium heat for 4 minutes until thick (like mashed potatoes). Add food coloring to water before mixture adding for color. Remove from heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Knead like dough. Store in airtight container.

Baker's Clay
4 cups flour , 1 cup salt , 1 tsp. powdered alum , 1 1/2 cups water, Food coloring
Mix all ingredients in bowl. If too dry work in extra water with hands. Color by dividing and adding food coloring to each portion. Roll or mold as desired. Once molded or rolled bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 250 degree oven. Turn and bake another 1 1/2 hours. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly if desired and paint.

Cookie Clay
2 cups salt , 2/3 cups water , 1 cup cornstarch , 1/2 cup cold water
Mix salt with water in saucepan. Stir and boil. Add cornstarch and cold water. Keep heating if it does not get thick. Roll out dough on board floured with cornstarch. Dry and decorate ornaments.

Bread Clay
6 slices white bread , 6 tbsps. white glue , 1/2 tsp. detergent or 2 tsp. glycerine , Food coloring
Remove crusts from bread and knead with glue. Add either detergent or glycerine. Knead until no longer sticky. Separate into portions and add food coloring if desired. Shape and brush with equal parts of glue and water for a glossy coat. Allow to dry overnight to harden. Paint with acrylic paint. Seal with clear nail polish.

Modeling Clay
2 cups salt , 2/3 cup water , 1 cup cornstarch , 1/2 cup water (cold)
Stir salt and water over heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch and cold water. Mix until smooth, return to heat and cook until thick. Cool before using. Store in plastic bag.

Glue/Paste Recipes [top]

Glue
3/4 cup water , 2 tbsp. corn syrup , 1 tsp. white vinegar , 1/2 cup cornstarch , 3/4 cup cold water
Mix water, syrup and vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Add this mixture slowly to first mixture. Stir constantly. Let stand overnight before using.

Homemade Paste
1/2 cup flour , Cold water, Add cold water to 1/2 cup flour until a thick cream forms. Simmer on stove for 5 minutes. Add food coloring or flavoring if desired. Wet messy paint that takes a while to dry.

Paper Mache Paste
1 cup water , 1/4 cup flour , 5 cups lightly boiling water
Mix flour into one cup water until mixture is thin and runny, stir into boiling water. Gently boil and stir for 3 minutes. Cool before using. (Use with newspaper/newsprint strips for Paper mache).

Library Paste
1 cup flour , 1 cup sugar , 1 tsp. alum , 4 cups water ,Oil of cloves
Mix all ingredients in saucepan and cook until clear nd thick. Add 30 drops of Oil of cloves and store covered.

Miscellaneous Recipes [top]

Homemade Silly Putty
2 parts white glue , 1 part liquid starch,
Mix ingredients and let dry until workable. Add more glue or starch if necessary. May not work on humid days. Store in airtight container.

Another Silly Putty
This is really kind of a tricky recipe because it's like making bread. You gotta make it a few times to get just the right texture. Also, cheaper brands of glue may not work as well because they have too much water in them. Combine approximately 2 parts glue to 1 part liquid starch. Stir it up and it will stick to whatever you're stirring it with. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, add more liquid starch. If it won't stick to itself, add more glue. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want the mixture to get tougher and thicker, let it dry out a bit in the air. If you get it just right (and I rarely do,) it will pick up newsprint like the store bought stuff. Silly putty is lots of fun to cut with scissors. Also use some playdough toys with it, or ice cube trays, muffin tins, plastic strawberry baskets, etc. Caution: This often sticks to clothes, hair, furniture. Wear a smock and play with this stuff in uncarpeted areas! If you get it on fabric, use vinegar to get it out.

Pasta Dye
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol ,Food coloring,
Mix alcohol and food coloring in bowl. Add small amounts of any type of pasta to liquid and gently stir. Dry on newspapers covered with wax paper. Do not allow children to eat pasta or drink alcohol.

Egg Dye
1/4 tsp. food coloring , 3/4 cup hot water , 1 tbsp. vinegar
Measure liquids into a bowl. Separate into small bowls. Add food coloring to each mixture. Soak hard boiled eggs in dye.

Great Goop
2 cups water , 1/2 cup cornstarch , Food coloring
Boil water in saucepan - add cornstarch stirring until smooth. Add food coloring and stir. Remove from heat and cool. Child can play with the goop on any plastic covered surface.

Whipped Snow
2 cups warm water , 1 cup pure laundry soap or flakes , Electric mixer
Put water and soap in large bowl and beat with mixer until very fluffy. Add food coloring if desired. This can be molded into shapes and left to dry.

Blubber

Watch out for cheap glue that has too much water in it.
Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup glue In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup water with 2 T Borax (You'll find this hidden away in a tiny recess of your detergent aisle) Now, while stirring the Borax mixture constantly, add the glue mixture. It should immediately glump up and look like blubber (Or at least what we imagine blubber to look like.) If it isn't really glumpy and tough, mix up more Borax mixture and add that to it. Use the same toys as with silly putty. This does not stick to things as much as silly putty.

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