Homemade Water Color Paints

Yesterday we decided to make some of our own water color paints.  My kids love water colors, but they always run out WAY too quickly.  Plus, although they are "non-toxic", I've always thought they have a pretty odd smell to them.  So, we were off to Pinterest to find a recipe!  

We found one that looked pretty when finished (because that's important, you know), and we got started on this new project!  It was so simple and yielded a ton of paint!  Plus, it looks beautiful on paper!  I don't think I'll ever buy water colors again.



First, pour 1 cup baking soda in a bowl with a pour spout.  Then, slowly add in 3/4 cup vinegar.  It will bubble a lot, so just make sure to go slow enough that it doesn't bubble over!  This is, of course, the coolest part for the kids to watch.

Stir well.  Add 2 TBL corn syrup and 1 cup corn starch to the mix.  Stir well until it is all combined. This will be a little tricky.  Have you ever made the goop recipe?  This recipe reminds me of that!  If you touch it quickly or press hard on it or stir too fast, the mixture will feel rock hard.  If you move slowly through the mixture, it is like a liquid.  Just do your best to mix it all up.  Even though it feels hard, when you begin to pour it, it will pour smoothly.

Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray.  We used 3 trays (so each kid could have one), and filled them 1/4 way.  You do not want them super full or it will be a challenge to mix in the color without causing it to spill over.

Here are our 3 trays, ready to be mixed with color!

Lastly, mix food coloring in with each small tray to make whatever colors you desire.  I allowed the girls to mix all their own colors.  Ellie must've really liked green, because she ended up with 4 shades of green ;)  Mix these using popsicle sticks.  You may have to finish stirring your kids for them as the mixture does get hard when you try to stir it.  The kids could mix in the top half, but the bottom halves of their mixtures were untouched and still white.  

These are the finished trays.  They will be nice and wet.  Allow them to dry overnight or until they are solid and dry to the touch.  Ours took a little less than 24 hours.

Use just like regular water colors!  These are seriously amazing!  I can't believe how simple it was to make, and I love that there are no chemicals in them!  Plus, they will last forever!