DIY Watercolors

Leafing through Body + Soul magazine this am over breakfast and I can't believe how much I swoon over every issue! Granted there are a lot of ads, and not every articles is the most enlightening but there is always, without fail, some little bit of information that I take away with me.

Today's wonderful tidbit was how to make your own watercolors... and no not these beauties in my post, which are credited to one of my old favs Homer, but how to actually make your own PAINT. Love this idea. When I was a part-time nanny on the days when I wasn't completing my unpaid internship, I would worry about coming up with new creative games on a daily basis. There are many steps in this project that children can help with, but I suspect it is just as fun for the kids at heart as well, especially customizing the colors. Perhaps this will be my birthday morning activity!

OK, without further delay, here is the recipe from the May issue of Martha Stewart Living's Body + Soul magazine:

What you need: baking soda, cornstarch, white vinegar, light corn syrup, food coloring (we like the plant-based kind from Chocolatecraftkits.com), and a plastic egg carton [love recycling old food containers for this project...and I haven't visited chocolatecraftkits yet but man does that sound dangerous!]

How to make it: In a bowl, mix 3 Tbsp. each baking soda, cornstarch, and white vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. corn syrup. The vinegar and baking soda combination will fizz. Once it's settled and full mixed, pour into the egg carton so the cups are about one-third full.Stir in drops of food coloring until you've reached your desired shade. Leave at room temperature on a flat surface until hardened (a few hours), then use with a wet brush.

Et voila! The best part is if you find the little kidletts sucking on any part of their pretty-painted fingers during this project: no harm. Happy Monday! xN

From top, all Winslow Homer, Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago: Breaking Storm, Coast of Maine (1894), Stowing Sail (1903), Fishing off Scarborough (1882)