Following are some recipes I've gotten primarily from family members that are great to use if you have kids.
Witch's Brew
Finger Paints
Edible Finger Paints
Bathtub Finger Paints
Colorful Creative Salt
Disappearing Paint
Crazy Putty
Fun Clay
Baker's Clay
Clay for Play and Posterity
Clay Recipe for Ornaments
Edible Playdough
Play Dough
Peanut Butter Clay
Bubbles
Flubber
Library Paste
Magic Makeup
WITCH'S BREW
(All-purpose cleaner for surfaces, etc.)
1 C ammonia 1/4 C baking soda
1/2 C vinegar
FOR GENERAL CLEANING:
Mix in gallon container, add water to make a gallon.
FOR HEAVY DUTY CLEANING:
Mix with water to make 1/2 gallon.
Mix in heavy sauce pan (2 qt.)
3 T sugar 1/2 C cornstarch
Add: 2 C cold water
Cook over low heat, stir constantly until well blended and slightly thick.
Divide into 4 or 5 portions and put different food coloring into each.
Paint on freezer wrap or butcher paper.
FINGERPAINTS #2
1/2 C dry laundry starch 1/4 C cold water
1 1/2 C boiling water 1/2 C soap flakes
1 t glycerine food coloring
Mix starch and cold water in a saucepan. Pour in the boiling water and cook over low heat until shiny. Remove from the heat and add soap and glycerine. Divide the portions and add different food coloring.
Variation: Just beat warm water into soap flakes until consistency
desired is reached and add paint or food coloring.
If you don't wish to go to the "trouble" to mix finger paints,
add a drop of food coloring to aerosol shaving soap and let your child
do his/her thing on a cookie sheet.
Use any flavor instant pudding, mixed up. (Chocolate is best!)
Give each child a sheet of freezer paper or butcher wrap and let him/her paint on it with the pudding.
Yummy!
1/3 C cornstarch 1 1/2 C water
3 T talcum powder 3 T mild liquid dish soap
food coloring
Add water, a little at a time, to the cornstarch. Stir until mixed. Cook over low to medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. While cooking, stir continuously, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add talcum powder and dishwashing soap. Stir until well mixed. Color with food coloring.
Add 5-6 drops food coloring to 1/2 C household salt.
Stir well.
Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread on waxed paper and let dry.
Use as you would glitter.
Mix 1/8 t "bluing" with 2 C water and let the kids paint the sidewalk.
It disappears!
Mix equal parts white glue and liquid starch.
Knead to desired consistency.
Add more starch or glue if needed.
It stretches, snaps and bounces.
Store in an airtight container.
Note: If you use Elmer's School Glue instead of regular white
it doesn't bounce or pick up pictures,
but it makes a gooey delight your kids will love.
Use on a smooth surface.
Beware of contact with clothes and carpet.
FUN CLAY
Smooth white dough good for making animals.
Watercolors, tempera paints, wax paper
1 C salt 1/2 C cornstarch
1C boiling water pan
wet cloth
Mix salt, cornstarch, and water in a pan.
Boil to a soft ball stage.
Knead on wax paper until doughlike.
Use dough to make animals/ornaments/free form designs.
Let them dry and then paint with watercolors or tempera paints.
Wrap in wet cloth to keep for a few days.
1/3 C water 1/2 C salt
1 C flour tin foil
sharpened pencil poster paint
brushes shellac or varnish
yarn
Mix salt, water and flour in a bowl with your hands to form clay. Take bits of the clay and make different shapes. Place each shape on a baking sheet covered with foil. Make a hole in the top of each shape with the point of a pencil. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour or until brown. Let shapes cool and then paint them. When paint is dry, coat them with shellac or varnish. String with yarn and hang.
CLAY FOR PLAY AND POSTERITY
(baking method)
Mix: 1 C salt
1/2 C water
2 T vegetable oil
Add: 2 C flour
After shaping, the clay can be baked at 250 degrees for several hours.
(overnight drying methods)
Mix: 1 C cornstarch
2 C baking soda (1 lb.)
1 1/4 C cold water
Stir in a saucepan over medium heat for about 4 minutes until the mixture
thickens to moist mashed potato consistency.
Remove from the heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth
until cool.
Knead as you would dough.
Shape as desired or store in airtight container or plastic bag.
For color, add a few drops of food coloring to the water
before it is mixed with starch and soda.
Or objects may be left to dry and then painted with
water (tempera) colors or acrylics.
Dip in shellac or brush with clear nail polish for a sealer.
CLAY RECIPE FOR ORNAMENTS
(oven drying method)
Mix well in a large bowl:
4 C flour
1 C salt
1 t powdered alum
1 1/2 C water
If the dough is too dry, work in another tablespoon of water with your hands.
Dough can be colored by dividing it into several parts and kneading a drop
or two of food coloring into each part.
Roll or mold as desired.
To Roll: Roll dough 1/8" thick on lightly floured board.
Cut with cookie cutters dipped in flour.
Make a hole in the top, 1/4 inch down, for hanging, by using the end
of a plastic straw dipped in flour.
Shake the dots of clay from the straw and press on as decorations.
To Mold: Shape dough no more than 1/2" thick into figures such as
flowers, fruits, animals, etc.
Insert a fine wire in each for hanging.
Bake ornaments on ungreased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 250 degree oven.
Turn and bake another 1 1/2 hours until hard and dry.
Remove and cool.
When done, sand lightly with fine sandpaper until smooth.
Paint with plastic-based poster, acrylic paint or markers.
Paint both sides.
Allow paint to dry and seal with clear shellac, spray plastic or clear nail polish.
This recipe makes about 5 dozen 2 1/2" ornaments.
Mix: 1 (18 oz) jar peanut butter
6 T honey
Nonfat dry milk or milk plus flour to right consistency
Optional: cocoa or carob for chocolate flavor
Shape. Decorate (raisins, nuts, etc.) and eat!
PLAY DOUGH #1
(no-cooking recipe)
Mix:
1 C flour
1/2 C salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 t alum
Add a small amount of water at a time until consistency of bread dough. It will not be more than 1/2 cup. Add food coloring, preferably to the water before mixing. You can make colors not available, such as purple, by creatively mixing colors. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag. It lasts a long time.
PLAY DOUGH #2
(stove-top methods)
#1
1 C flour 1/2 C salt
1 T cream of tartar 1 C water
1 T oil 8 or 9 drops of food coloring
Sift together flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Boil water, oil, and food coloring. Pour over flour mixture and mix together. Knead a few times. Store in plastic resealable container (Ziploc bag/Tupperware/etc.).
#2
Mix in a medium pot:
Combine and add:
Cook over medium heat and stir (about 3-5 minutes). It will look like a "globby" mess and you'll be sure it's not turning out . . . but it will. When it forms a ball in the center of the pot turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag. Edible but not as tasty as "Edible Play Dough" recipe!
When using play dough, don't neglect those necessary pieces of equipment: cookie cutters, rolling pins (real or play), plastic knives, bottle caps, extra flour, uncooked spaghetti or macaroni, walnut half-shells, etc.
To the Top4 T peanut butter 1 T honey or Karo syrup
1 T wheat germ 2 1/2 T powdered milk
Mix thoroughly and play. Store in refrigerator.
1 C liquid dish soap 2 C warm water
3 T glycerine 1/2 t sugar
Mix togehter and store in airtight container. Add more glycerine if needed.
2 C white glue 1 1/2 C warm water
1 C hot water 3 t Borax
Mix glue and warm water. Mix and dissolve Borax in hot water. Pour into glue mixture, 1/3 at a time, mixing thoroughtly with hands after each addition. One fun thing to do with this is to flatten it out, stick straws in it, and blow bubbles.
1/2 C corn starch 3/4 C cold water
6 C boiling water
Make a paste of corn starch and cold water. Add to boiling water and stir until translucent. Cool to room temperature. Store in glass or plastic containers.
LIBRARY PASTE # 2
Mix in a saucepan:
1 C flour 1 C sugar
1 t alum 4 C water
2 T shortening 5 T cornstarch
5 drops liquid dishwashing detergent
4-6 drops food coloring
Mix shortening and cornstarch until creamy.
Add dishwashing detergent and mix.
Add food coloring and mix until color is even.
The detergent keeps the food coloring from staining the skin and clothes.
Yield: 1/4 cup.
Note: Color ratios: Army green = 1 drop red to 3 drops green; orange = 3 drops yellow to 1 drop red; purple = 3 drops red to 1 drop blue; gray = 3 drops blue to 2 drops red.
Any questions? How about comments? Recipes of your own you'd like to see here? Mail me.
To the Castle.
To the Dragons' lair.