Homemade Art Supplies

Homemade Art Supplies from the The Homeschool Network Internet Library News


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.

Bath Paint
Shaving cream
Food coloring

In a muffin tin, place a quantity of shaving cream. Mix in food coloring.

Big Bubbles
2 c Joy or Dawn dishwashing liquid
6 c Water
3/4 c Light corn syrup

Mix ingredients in bucket. Let settle 3-4 hours. Makes super big bubbles.

Bookbinding or Leather Glue
1 packet (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon glycerin

1. In a pan, add gelatin to boiling water. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

2. Add vinegar and glycerin. Stir until well mixed.

Makes about 1/3 cup. For larger projects, double the recipe.

How to use it: While the glue is still warm, apply a thin layer with a brush. This waterproof glue is excellent for binding leather to leather.

It also makes a good flexible glue for use on paper, or for gluing cloth to cardboard for making notebook binders or scrapbooks.

Stored in a tightly capped plastic or glass jar, this glue will keep for several months. It will gel in the bottle after a few days. Warm bottle in hot water to reuse glue.

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.

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.

Cornstarch Finger Paint
3 tablespoons 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.

Egg Dye
1/4 teaspoon food coloring
3/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Measure liquids into a bowl. Separate into small bowls. Add food coloring to each mixture. Soak hard boiled eggs in dye.

Face Paint
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon 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.

Glue
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons 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.

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.

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.

Jewelry Clay
3/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Salt
1/2 cup Cornstarch
Warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Gradually add warm water until the mixture can be kneaded into shapes. Make beads by rolling the dough into little balls, piercing the balls with toothpicks, and allowing the balls to dry. Paint and string the beads.

Kool-aid Playdough
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 cups flour
2 tablespsoons alum
Kool-aid 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.

Library Paste
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon alum
4 cups water
Oil of cloves

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and cook until clear and thick. Add 30 drops of Oil of Cloves and store covered.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Poster Paint
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
3 tablespoons powdered tempera paint
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon 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.

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 mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make a workable dough.

Sidewalk Chalk
Plaster of Paris
Water
Colored Tempera Paint OR Food Colors

Mix 2 quarts. plaster of Paris w/ 1 part water. Mix in desired color. Pour into paper towel or TP tubes (about 3" high). Let dry thoroughly (may take several days). Remove from tubes.

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.

Simple Playdough
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
6 teaspoons 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.

Soap Crayons
1 cup Soap flakes
Food coloring
2 tablespoons Hot water

Have one large bowl and several small bowls, one for each color. You will also need an ice cube tray with different sections, or containers to act as small molds.

Put soap flakes in a large bowl and drop the hot water into the soap flakes, stirring constantly. The mixture will be extremely thick and hard to stir.

Spoon some of the soap into each of the small bowls and color each separately, adding the color by drops until the soap has the consistency of a very thick paste.

Press spoonfuls of the soap into your molds and set the crayons in a dry place to harden. They should take a few days to a week to dry completely.

Uncooked Playdough
1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons 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.

Waterproof - Glass Glue
2 pk (1/2 oz.) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons Cold water
3 tablespoons Skimmed milk
Few drops of oil of wintergreen

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin into cold water. Set aside to soften. Heat milk to boiling and pour into softened gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Add oil of wintergreen as a preservative. Makes about 1/3 cup. Use while still warm; may be applied with a brush. This glue is very effective for gluing glass to glass, metal to metal, wood, mending china and labels on glass jars.

To glue marbles together allow glue to cool slightly so it begins to jell. Glue should be stored in a screw capped glass jar. It will jell as it cools. To restore it to use set jar in hot water.