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Make at Home Craft Recipes
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The process of engaging your children in making their own homemade playdough, modeling clay, and fingerpaints with inexpensive, household ingredients, is a teachable moment for learning patience, planning ahead, and cleaning up. FYI - did you know the early scientist contructed their own instruments - there wasn't a store to run to for a microscope!
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BAKER'S CLAY is a simple, inexpensive, non-toxic, modeling material suitable for small sculptures like Christmas ornaments.
Note: Amount of water in each recipe, drying/baking time will be influenced by humidity in the air.
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BAKER'S CLAY 1
Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
3/4 c. water
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Directions:
Combine flour, salt and water together in a bowl, then knead 4 to 6 minutes to mix.
Shape into ornament or other object.
Bake finished objects at 300º F for 1 hour.
Objects can be finished acrylic paint and polyurethane spray, or before baking, brush with beaten egg white for a shine.
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BAKER'S CLAY 2
Ingredients:
1 c. salt
1 1/2 c. boiling water
4 c. flour
optional:
food coloring
dry tempera paint
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Directions:
Stir salt into the warm water. Cool mixture, then add flour and knead for 10 minutes.
To color the dough, add food coloring or 1/2 cup dry tempera paint added to salt and water.
Bake modeled figures at 300º F for one hour.
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BAKER'S CLAY 3
Ingredients:
1/2 c. salt
3/4 c. boiling water
2 c. flour
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Directions:
Place salt in bowl; pour boiling water over salt and stir till salt dissolves. Cool.
Add flour all at once and mix well by forming a ball and kneading the dough until it is smooth, soft and workable.
Form shapes and bake at 300º to 350º F for 1 1/2 to 3 hours (depending on the thickness of shape).
Option: Air-dry object at least two to three days before painting.
Dry objects can be protected with polyurethane (spray).
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BAKER'S CLAY 4
Ingredients:
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. salt
1 1/2 c. cold water
optional:
cookie cutters
paint, polyurethane
ribbons for hangers
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Directions:
Mix flour and salt together.
Slowly add water while stirring with a fork until soft dough forms.
Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, adding a small amount of water or flour, if needed.
Roll dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.
Place ornaments 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Punch “hanging holes” with a drinking straw.
Bake in a preheated 300º F. oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Baking time will vary with size of ornaments.
When completely cool, you may paint ornaments with acrylic paints or leave natural, coat with polyurethane.
Note: Dough will keep indefinitely if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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BAKER'S CLAY 5
Ingredients:
1 c. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. cold water
2 c. baking soda (1 lb.)
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Directions:
Stir starch and soda together.
Mix in cold water and stir over heat until mixture has a consistency of mashed potatoes.
Turn onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool enough to handle, then knead.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container.
Dries at room temperature in 3 days or oven at 200º F.
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PLAY DOUGH |
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PLAY DOUGH 1
Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 c. salt
4 t. cream of tartar
2 T. vegetable oil
2 c. water
Food coloring (optional)
Extract (optional)
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Directions:
Mix all ingredients in bowl.
Cook over low heat in electric skillet until it begins to look dry (not completely).
Remove from skillet.
When cool enough to touch, knead until smooth and pliable.
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PLAY DOUGH 2
Ingredients:
6 c. flour
Powdered tempera
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water
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Directions:
Mix the flour with the desired color and amount of powdered tempera.
Add the vegetable oil and water and knead well.
If necessary, add more water in small amounts until the dough is soft and elastic.
Store dough in a refrigerator in a covered container.
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PLAY DOUGH 3
Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 c. water (add food coloring to water)
1 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. oil
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Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a pot or skillet.
Cook over low heat about 5 minutes until it pulls away from sides and forms a “lump”.
Cool before playing.
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PLAY DOUGH 4
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. salt
1 c. water
1 T. cream of tartar
optional
Food coloring
1 t. flavoring like vanilla, wintergreen.
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Directions:
Combine the dry ingredients together in a saucepan.
Mix oil and water, then pour slowly into dry ingredients.
Cook over very low heat until the mixture is is the consistency of mashed potatoes. This happens very quickly. Stir in vanilla.
Remove from heat and turn the mixture onto a board or table.
When cool enough to handle, divide into manageable amount and knead chosen color in until smooth.
Store in an air tight container.
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PLAY DOUGH 5
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
1 c. water
1 T. vegetable oil
2 t. cream of tartar
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Directions:
Heat until ingredients form ball, add food coloring.
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SILLY PUTTY |
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Ingredients:
2 parts Elmer's regular white glue (not school glue)
1 part Sta-flo liquid starch
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Directions:
Mix ingredients well and let set to workable state, longer on a humid day.
Store in an airtight container.
Hint: Use on a smooth surface.
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PAINTS & NATURAL DYES
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| FINGERPAINTS |
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Ingredients:
3 T. sugar
2 c. cold water
1/2 c. cornstarch
Dry tempra
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Directions:
Mix sugar, cornstarch and water in a heavy saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
When thick, cool and pour into 6 muffin tin compartments or 6 paper cups.
Add a different color of dry tempra to each.
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Ingredients:
1 c. water
2 T. cornstarch
Food coloring
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Directions:
Mix the water, cornstarch and several drops of food coloring together in a saucepan.
Heat and stir the mixture until it thickens, about five minutes. Let it cool.
Store in covered container.
Use the paint for fingerpainting or with brush.
Add water to desired consistency if the paint thickens.
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| EGG YOLK PAINT for Sugar Cookies |
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Ingredients:
1 well blended egg yolk
1/4 t. water
Food coloring
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Directions:
Blend egg yolk and water.
Divide mixture into several small cups and add a different food coloring to each cup.
Paint on regular sugar cookies with small paint brushes. Bake cookies, being very careful not to let the cookies over brown.
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| FACE PAINT |
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Ingredients:
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. water
1/2 t. cold cream
Food colors
small containers for each color
small paintbrushes
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Directions:
Mix together the cornstarch and cold cream until well blended.
Add water and stir.
Add food coloring, one drop at a time, to desired color.
Store in covered containers.
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| NATURAL DYES for Easter Eggs
Add 1 t. vinegar to enough water to cover whatever is being dyed (eggs, natural fiber cloth, wool yarn) with following materials. Simmer. Creme of Tartar to darken.
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Fresh mint or oregano - Strong coffee-
Spinach -
Yellow apple peel
Beet juice
Red cabbage leaves
Walnut shells
Carrot tops
Onion skins
Cranberry juice
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beige
brown
grayish gold/pink
lavender
reddish purple (fugitive)
blue
brown / buff
greenish yellow
orange
red
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PASTES & GLUES
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WALL PAPER PASTE, paper mache
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 T. alum (powder)
4 c. water
10 drops oil of cloves - natural preservative
Find alum in spice section of grocery store.
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Directions:
Mix flour and sugar, then add slowly 1 cup of the water.
In the top of a double boiler, bring remainder of water and the alum to a boil, then add flour and sugar mixture, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir until nearly clear (about 1/2 hour).
Remove from heat, let cool and add oil of cloves.
Makes 1 quart of paste. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator; use as quickly as possible.
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Ingredients:
1 tsp. flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. alum (powder)
1/3 c. water
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Directions:
In top of double boiler, mix dry ingredients. Add water slowly, stirring out lumps.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat when paste begins to thicken; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Keep covered. Add water to thin when necessary.
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. water
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Directions:
Cook water and flour until transparent and the consistency of whipped cream.
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