Homemade Craft Recipes

Recipe Links
Craft Supply Recipes @ about.com
Home-Made Sidewalk Chalk
Soap Bubble Art

Homemade Glitter / Colored Salt

3 tablespoons salt (Coarse salt or rock salt would look better.)
About 2 drops of food coloring (Depending if you need to mix colors to obtain a particular color.)

Place the salt in a sandwich bag or sealable bag. Add the more than one food coloring to make various colors. Seal the bag. Move the salt around using your fingers. Keep the bag open. Let dry. (It usually takes a half a day or less.)

If using table salt, place in salt shakers by cutting a hole in the bottom side of a sealable bag. Place it in the salt shaker.
If you use coarse salt, have the child spoon it onto the glue or use his/her fingers.

Activities:
Place glue on paper, sand paper, etc. Sprinkle the salt onto the glue. Shake off the excess salt. Let dry.

Homemade Colored Sugar

Also located at: Colored Sugar Sprinkle Recipe.

(Make edible art projects using this recipe.)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
About 2 drops of food coloring (Depending if you need to mix colors to obtain a particular color.)

Place the sugar in a sandwich bag or sealable bag. Add the more than one food coloring to make various colors. Seal the bag. Move the sugar around using your fingers. Keep the bag open. Let dry. (It usually takes a half a day or less.) Place in salt shakers by cutting a hole in the bottom side of a sealable bag. Place it in the salt shaker. If you use course sugar, have the child spoon it onto the dessert.

Sprinkle colored sugar on cakes, graham crackers, cupcakes, cookies, etc. to make your own art creation.

Colored Pasta or Colored Rice
In a plastic bag, place pasta or rice in it. Cover it with rubbing alcohol. Add the color of food coloring(s) you would like. Shake until everything is covered. Let it dry on wax paper.

Activities:
Glue on paper.
Glue onto paper to create your on pattern.

Corn Syrup Finger Paint
light corn syrup
liquid food coloring
small paper plates or bowls

Place about a tablespoon of corn syrup for each color you want onto separate plates or bowls. Add some food coloring to the corn syrup. Mix with fingers, cotton swaps, etc. Paint.

Activities:
Have your child paint with whatever they desire on a piece of paper.

You can even make hand prints at special times of the year remember what your child's hands look like at that age. Make sure to put the child's name on it and the year and date it was made. You can do this at Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

At Thanksgiving, you can use brown food coloring to make a turkey and use an orange crayon or a waterproof markers to make the beak and feet.

Goop
For 1 child:
1/2 cup corn starch
1/4 cup water
small bowl, tin pie plate, etc.
cookie sheet or pizza pan
more water
Food coloring (if desired)

Add the water to the corn starch in a small bowl, tin pie plate, etc. Mix it together using your hands. If you need to add more water, add just a couple of drops (especially after playing with it for awhile).

Ask questions like:
What does the corn starch smell like?
How does it feel?
What is it doing?

Activity:
Have the child explore by playing with the goop. Have them pick it up, put it down, let it go through their hands, push your hand down in it, part it in the middle, etc.

Marbleized Goop Activity: Have the child add a few drops of food coloring to the goop. Mix it with his/her fingers (or a spoon, etc.).

Note: This looks like really thick white water oozing down (overflowing). I can't explain it but it is great to watch it happen.

oo Phonics Lesson
You can talk about the sound of oo while the child/ren play with the goop.
"Look, the goop is oozing through your fingers." "Ooze."
Talk about other words like: bandicoot, boo, boom, boot, food, fool, foolish man, goose, hoo, hoof, kangaroo, loop, loose, moo, mood, moon,moose,noodle, noon, oodles, ooze, pool, poodle, roof, room, root, rooster, soon, too, tool, toot, tooth, zoo, zoom, etc.

For younger children: You can choose words like; boo, moo, hoo, toot and have them

Paste or Finger Paint

2 tablespoons flour
about 3 teaspoons water
pinch of salt

Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add water to the flour and mix with a spoon. Add salt. Use the paste to glue things on paper.

Activity for Paste:
During Autumn or Fall or any other season, go on a nature walk and find different objects (leaves, grass, etc.). Have your child/children glue it onto thick paper or cardboard. Place contact paper on both sides so it will be a memory. Make sure to put the child's name on it and the year and date it was made.

Use this for gluing things onto paper.

Activity for Finger Paint:
After adding some food coloring to the paste. Have your child/children paint on heavy paper or cardboard.

Play Dough Recipes

Non-Cook Play Dough

New 10/28/03
This recipe can be made by children. Make sure they know to mix it well.
Note: This will not last as long as the cooked play dough.

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup salt (4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup water
1-2 tablespoons flour (if needed)
food coloring

In a bowl, add 1 1/4 cups flour and salt. Mix. Add the water and some food coloring together. Mix. Place in the flour mixture. Mix together with a spoon (or your hands). If it is too sticky, add more flour. Store in covered container or a sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Play Dough

1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup hot water

In a non-stick pan, mix the dry ingredients. Slowly add the water and mix. Add food coloring. Mix. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it is in a clump; stirring constantly. Place on wax paper, the counter, or cutting board. Knead for a couple of minutes (let it cool if it needs to). Store in covered container or a sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Colorful Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup hot water
A few drops of food coloring (or a package of unsweetened soft drink mix)

In a non-stick pan, mix the dry ingredients. Slowly add the water and mix. Add food coloring. Mix. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it is in a clump; stirring constantly. Place on wax paper, the counter, or cutting board. Knead for a couple of minutes (let it cool if needed). Store covered container or sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Activity:
Have your child/children cut out different shapes using cookie cutters, lids, or whatever else you can think of.