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We bought a few varieties of finger paints and liked them all well enough but last night we decided to make our own. I found a few recipes and had a few duds but after some tweaking I came up with this easy, non-toxic recipe that is the perfect consistency.
This recipe needs just a few ingredients I almost always have around the house and it’s super cheap to make once you break it down. You will need:
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Food Coloring
Wipes
Mix all of the ingredients together except for the food coloring…and the wipes of course.
You don’t necessarily need the wipes. Even though my daughter no longer is in diapers I keep them around for a quick clean up, especially during craft time.
TIP: I kept the burner off so that Maddilyn could take part in this step too.
Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, give yourself a thumbs up , you just accomplished the hardest part and you didn’t even make too much mess – again the wipes are really hand here.
Cook the mixture over low heat between 10 and 15 minutes. Just until it starts to thicken.
It’s important to stir continuously because the cornstarch will settle to the bottom.
When it’s complete it will be this sort of petroleum jelly consistency. Very goopy.
Pour the paint into bowls to cool.
Add a few drops food coloring to each bowl.
Any amount is fine, we went a little overboard and our fingers were stained over night but that’s okay. Stir the food coloring in until it’s mixed. You can also pre mix food coloring in a measuring spoon for more color options. If you want to make pink, just use less red.
TA-DA!
Your finger paints will last 3-4 days. You can either saran wrap the bowls or store them in glass craft jars if you have any.
It paints on paper just like store bought but twice the fun since we made it together! Did I mention it’s also equally as messy? She ended up with it all over her hands, face and even the counter and floor. With it’s simple ingredients I didn’t have to worry about the dogs or her eating it.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO PUT MY STUDENTS OUTSIDE TO DO THIS.