Today I am sharing paint recipes from
the book First Art.
I worked with two toddler teachers/parents
Dana Bowman and Renee Ramsey putting it together.
First Art is a book of art ideas for toddlers and two's.
This excerpt lists 20+ paint recipes, all homemade!!
Marvelous Homemade Paints: 20+ Recipes
The ingredients for a treasure trove of paint mixtures are right around the corner in the kitchen, laundry, and bath! Children will be intrigued, challenged, and delighted by painting with mixtures made from soap, flour, corn syrup, and other marvelous ingredients. Try these recipes any time, or when something new and different sounds like fun.
* View inside the entire old version HERE!
PS This book is now in a full color edition.
Marvelous Homemade
Paints: 24 Recipes
Cold Cream Paint
muffin tin with 6 sections
cornstarch
cold cream
water
measuring spoons
food coloring
paintbrush
In each cup of a six-sectioned muffin tin, put 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch,
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) cold cream, and 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) water. Use a
paintbrush to stir in a different color food coloring into each cup. Use as
you would any paint. This also works as a gentle face paint.
Egg Paint
colored chalk (bright pastel chalk)
old ceramic bowl
round rock
spoon
muffin tin
teaspoon
water
1 egg
bowl and fork
paintbrush
Break pieces of chalk and put them into an old ceramic bowl. Grind them into
powder using a round rock. Spoon the powder into muffin tin cups. Separate an
egg, setting aside the egg white and putting the yolk into a bowl with 2
teaspoons (10 ml) water. Whip the egg yolk and water with a fork until it is
a frothy yellow. Add drops of egg-water to the ground colored chalk. Stir
with a paintbrush until the mixture is a smooth, thin paint.
Cornstarch Paint
liquid tempera paint
cornstarch
measuring cup
spoon and bowl
Mix 1 cup (240 ml) liquid tempera paint and 1 cup (125 g) cornstarch in a
bowl to make a thick paint that sticks well to paper.
Cornstarch Vinegar Paint
white vinegar
cornstarch
food coloring
measuring cups and spoons
spoon and bowl or baby food jar with lid
Mix together 2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar, 2 teaspoons (7 g) cornstarch,
and 20 drops of food coloring (more or less is fine) in a bowl (or shake in a
baby food jar). This makes enough paint for one child.
Corn Syrup & Food Coloring
food coloring
corn syrup
cup and spoon
Pour corn syrup into a cup and mix in food coloring. Paint on white paper.
The painting dries to a shiny, but sticky, result.
Frozen Liquid Watercolors
Liquid Watercolors
small paper cups
freezer
plastic spoons
Pour Liquid Watercolors into small paper cups and put them into the freezer.
When they are partially frozen, put plastic spoons into each cup. After they
freeze, remove the paper cups. The spoons become handles.
Flour Paint
flour
liquid soap
water
measuring spoons and cups
spoon
bowl or large jar
food coloring drops or paste, or powdered tempera paint
Combine 3 cups (375 g) flour, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid soap, and 3/4 cup
(180 ml) water in a bowl or large jar until the mixture is a thick paste. Mix
in food coloring until you have a desired shade.
Fragrant Paint
fragrances and spices (see suggestions below)
paint
spoon
Add fragrances and scents to paint. Some suggestions are shampoo, lemon or
almond extract, peppermint extract, scented hand lotion, perfume or cologne,
fruit drink mix, chocolate powder, and coffee. Adding spices adds texture and
fragrance. Suggestions include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, sage, or
others.
Textured Paint
textures (see suggestions below)
tempera paint
spoon
Add textures to tempera paints (or any of the paint mixtures in this book).
Some possibilities are coffee grounds, sand, salt, sawdust, pencil shavings,
oatmeal, or crumbled leaves.
Jell-O Paint
water
gelatin powder
bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid
Add water to any gelatin powder, such as Jell-O, so it has the consistency of
watercolor paint. Use as a fingerpaint or a paint for brushing on glossy
paper, freezer paper, or finger-painting paper. This paint is great for
"scratch & sniff."
Milk & Food Coloring
milk
food coloring
bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid
Mix milk and food coloring together in a bowl or in a jar with a
tight-fitting lid. Use as a paint for toast, bread, cupcakes, or other edible
painting projects.
Mud Paint
sifted soil
water
cup
paintbrush
Mix sifted soil and water in a cup, stirring with a brush. Use it to paint on
paper, fabric, or wood.
Milk Paint
powdered milk
cornstarch
measuring cups and spoons
bowl and spoon
warm water
food coloring drops or food coloring paste
Mix together 1/2 cup (75 g) powdered milk and 2 teaspoons (7 g) cornstarch in
a bowl. Gradually add in 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water until the paint is
smooth. Then add in food coloring.
Paste Paint
flour
water
measuring cups
saucepan and mixing spoon
stove or hot plate (adult only)
food coloring or tempera paint
Mix together 1 cup (125 g) flour and 3 cups (720 ml) water in a saucepan.
Boil on a stove or hot plate until the mixture is thick. Mix in any coloring,
such as tempera paint or food coloring, for a paint that will keep its
texture when dry.
Shampoo Paint
shampoo
measuring spoon
water
bowl and spoon
electric mixer
food coloring, optional
Mix 3 teaspoons (30 g) shampoo with a little water in a bowl, and then whip
with an electric mixer until it is thick and creamy. If desired, add food
coloring.
Shaving Cream & Glue Paint
shaving cream
white glue
measuring cup
bowl and mixing spoon
food coloring
Mix 1 cup (30 g) shaving cream with 1 cup (240 ml) white glue in a bowl. Add
in food coloring as desired. This makes a puffy paint that works well on
cardboard or paper.
Shiny Milk Paint
sweetened condensed milk
tempera paint
bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid
Mix together sweetened condensed milk with tempera paint in a bowl or in a
jar with a tight-fitting lid. When the paint dries, it will be shiny.
Slick Paint
tempera paint
white glue
bowl and spoon
Mix together an equal amount of tempera paint and white glue in a bowl. This
mixture works well on glass and other slick surfaces such as aluminum foil.
Snow Paint
flour
salt
water
measuring cups
bowl and spoon or jar with tight-fitting lid
tempera paint or food coloring, optional
Mix together 1 cup (125 g) flour, 1 cup (250 g) salt, and 1 cup (240 ml)
water in a bowl or jar. This makes a white paint that looks like snow when
used on dark paper. Add tempera paint or food coloring, if desired. This
paint dries hard.
Tea Paint
tea bag or instant coffee
water
measuring cup
bowl or cup
Soak a tea bag in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, or add instant coffee to the water.
Make it dark or light, for color variation. Use this paint for painting on
plain paper or for shading.
Tempera & Starch Brush On
tempera paint
liquid starch
measuring cups
bowl and spoon
water
Mix together 2 cups (480 ml) tempera paint and 1 cup (240 ml) liquid starch
in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. Add water slowly while mixing, until
the paint is thick and spreadable. Use it for painting on any type of paper,
cardboard, or wood.
Vinegar Watercolor Paint
white vinegar
baking soda
measuring spoons
small bowl and spoon
cornstarch
glycerin
plastic bottle caps from 2-liter bottles
liquid food coloring
Mix together 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar and 2 tablespoons (30 g)
baking soda in a small bowl; it will bubble. When it stops bubbling, add 1
tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) glycerin, mixing well.
Pour the mixture into bottle caps. Add several drops of food coloring to each
bottle cap. Allow it to dry overnight to make a watercolor paint similar to
those found in watercolor paint boxes. (Double or triple this recipe to make
more colors or to fill more caps.)
a little more from First Art .....
Painting Goes Wild!
Collect and create homemade paintbrushes using imaginative materials such as
feathers, bristles taped together, fern leaves, a sponge on a stick, or
cattails. Each adds surprise to a painting experiment.
Materials
newspaper or a plastic tablecloth
tempera paints
Styrofoam grocery trays
paper, in a variety of sizes and types
tray
homemade brushes (see list)
Things to Use as Homemade Brushes
broom bristles (break a few bristles off an outdoor broom and tape together)
cattails with long stem
dish mops, dish scrubbers, or dish sponges
fern leaves
inflated balloons
long feathers
pine branches with needles attached
small sponges clipped in a clothespin or tied to the end of a chopstick
socks or mittens on one hand
Prepare (Adult)
* Protect the work area with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth.
* Place several colors of tempera paints into Styrofoam grocery trays and put
them on the table.
* Place a sheet of paper in front of each toddler.
* Put several types of homemade brushes on a tray for the children to choose
from.
Process (Child)
* Dip a homemade paintbrush into paint, then brush the paint on the paper.
* Try other brushes as desired.
* Paint with homemade brushes at the easel, on top of paper on the floor, or
paper taped to the wall.
First Art Tips
* Place a loop of masking tape on the bottom of each paint tray to keep it
attached to the table. Sometimes the homemade brushes can stick to the paint
and lift the trays if they are not taped.
* Children can become very opinionated about what should or should not be
used for painting. Don't be surprised!
* Plastic liter bottles cut in half make great cups for paint. Save the tops
to use as funnels.
* Easel Variations--
Painting at the easel is a basic and important art
experience for toddlers and twos. To stimulate creativity, change the paper
or paint at the easel. For example, encourage the children to paint on
grocery bags or a sheet of paper with a hole cut out of the middle. Or they
can try painting on a big sheet of newspaper or an old poster with the
graphics showing. Paint on clear Plexiglas. Try a new paint recipe or
different brushes. Use chalk or crayons, pencils, or pens. Paint with water
on cardboard sprayed with chalkboard paint, or paint with water on plain
cardboard or wood. Paint on little sheets of paper with small brushes or big
paper with oversized brushes. Paint on fabric squares.
The sky is the limit, and variety is the spice of every child's creative life!
To do the trick, first put a unwrapped bar of Ivory soap on a paper plate or piece of paper towel.
Place the soap in your microwave for about 90 seconds and it will puff out and grow into this amazing looking foam sculpture!!!! I didn't let my daughter watch the whole time because of the microwaves harmful rays! Interesting Information: My Father, who worked with radiation, has told me the most dangerous place to stand is the side of the microwave because that is where the harmful rays leak out! He said the front has a protective shield on it so I just thought I would pass that along since I am mentioning the dangers of microwaves.
Now you can see how the soap puffed out! My daughter absolutely LOVED this! We've done it three times and she keeps asking about doing it again! I explained to my daughter that the reason it puffs out is because there is air inside the soap that makes it expand when heated ... she seemed to understand! To make our Ivory Soap Puffed Sculpture more beautiful, I let her put drops of Liquid Watercolor (you could use food coloring) on it to paint it! Be careful because the soap is hot right out of the oven and especially in the center of the soap!
The sculpture is not at all permanent and flakes apart so it is definitely an "in the moment" activity! My daughter loved touching the sculpture and wanted to save pieces of it!!!
Here is a finished "Colorful Ivory Soap Sculpture" again! Beautiful! (or Not?) What do you think? We put the finished sculpture back in the microwave to see what would happen and there was not much difference. I appreciated that my daughter wanted to keep experimenting!
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