Make your own Paints

[Granny Smith]

Make your own Paints

You can make your own inexpensive watercolor paints with this recipe from Heloise. Never run out of paint again.

Picture Perfect- Watercolors

- 4 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon glycerin (available at your local pharmacy)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Red, blue, yellow food coloring

Mix the vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl or jar until mixture stops foaming.

Add the glycerin and cornstarch and stir thoroughly. Pour the mixture into small containers or paint box compartments.

Now you can experiment with color by adding a few drops of food coloring to each individual container.

Mix each color thoroughly and leave (preferably overnight) to set.

NOTE: Styrofoam egg cartons make great paint holders.

Adding a preservative such as phenol (a few drops at 10%) is recommended.

Puff Paint

1/3 cup White glue
2/3 cup Shaving Cream
Food coloring
Small Container (glass baby food jars work perfectly)
Paint brushes or craft sticks

Begin by pouring the 1/3 cup of white glue into a small container. Stir in a few drops of food coloring. Add the 2/3 cup shaving cream to the glue and food coloring mixture, stirring until all of the shaving cream is colored. Adjust the color by adding more food coloring if necessary. Paint the puff paint onto your projects very thick so it will provide the right amount of puff effect. Make several batches and color each with a different color. Store the puff paint in tight fitting jars.

Finger Paint

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1/2 cup liquid laundry starch
2 cups hot tap water
1/2 cup mild soap flakes or granules
Food coloring

Soften 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup of the cold water. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup liquid laundry starch with the remaining 3/4 cup of the cold water. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups hot tap water and cook the mixture over medium heat. Bring it to a full rolling boil and continue to cook until the mixture has completely thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin. Add the soap flakes and continue to stir until the soap has completely dissolved. Add up to 1 tablespoon of food coloring to each batch of paint.

Translucent paint

4 ounces white glue
1/4 cup liquid laundry starch
Food coloring

Mix 4 ounces white glue with 1/4 cup liquid laundry starch. Add several drops of food coloring until you reach the color desired.

This translucent paint works well for easel painting. Store in tight fitting jars for up to one week.

Crystal Paint

1/4 cup hot tap water
3 teaspoons Epsom salts

Mix 1/4 cup hot tap water with 3 teaspoons of Epsom salts. This crystal paint works best when painted on dark colored paper.

When the paint is dry, the salt will form crystals that will shimmer and shine in the light.

Face Paint

3 tablespoons solid shortening
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Food coloring

Mix together 3 tablespoons solid shortening and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add several drops of food coloring to achieve desired color. Apply the face paint with your fingers or with a small, stiff bristled paintbrush. This face paint can be cleaned off with the use of soap and water.

Sidewalk Paint

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Food coloring

Mix together 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Add several drops of food coloring. This sidewalk paint is a thin paint that may require several coats on the sidewalk to really show up well.

Since cornstarch is biodegradable it makes a perfect sidewalk paint that can be safely washed away with water.

Watercolor Paint

1 Kool-Aid packet - any flavor or color
2 teaspoons water

Mix 1 packet Kool-Aid with 2 teaspoons water. The Kool-aid will add a nice fragrance to the watercolor paint.

Cornstarch Paint

3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons white vinegar
Food coloring

Mix 3 teaspoons corn starch and 2 teaspoons white vinegar in a small jar. Add several drops of food color until you have reached the right color consistency. Cornstarch paint is a very smooth paint that will adhere on most paintable surfaces.

[Granny Smith]

1870 Milk Paint Formula

1 Quart skim milk (room temperature)
1 ounce of hydrated lime by weight
(Available at building centers. Do not use quick lime, as it will react with the water and heat up. Hydrated lime has been soaked in water then dried.)
1 to 2 1/2 pounds of chalk may also be added as a filler.

Stir in enough skim milk to hydrated lime to make a cream. Add balance of skim milk. Now add sufficient amount of powder pigment to desired color and consistency (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Stir in well for a few minutes before using. For best results continue to stir throughout use. Apply milk paint with a cheap natural bristle brush. Allow project to dry sufficiently before applying next coat. Extra paint may be kept for several days in the refrigerator, until the milk sours. Double or triple the recipe for paint. Allow to dry thoroughly 3-4 hours before use. For extra protection, give paint a coat of oil finish or sealer. Color may change - test in inconspicuous area.

Very Durable Weather Resistant Paint

5 parts cottage cheese or dry curd cheese
(Dry curd cheese is cottage cheese without cream or flavoring added. You can make a similar cheese by putting cottage cheese into cheesecloth and hanging it until it stops draining. Use cottage cheese if you’re in a hurry.)
1 part hydrated lime or slacked lime

Mix hydrated lime with water to make a paste. Add to cottage cheese and stir in well. Leave for few hours - the cheese lump will dissolve completely. Select some powder pigments and add to solution (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Add more water if too thick; powdered skim milk if too thin. Strain if you want a fine paint (old nylon stocking works well).