Craft Recipes for Scouts

Finger Paint Recipes

Liquid Starch Finger paint

• 1/4 cup liquid laundry starch
• 2 drops food coloring or 1 tsp. tempera paint

Mix ingredients in small plastic bowl until blended.

Cornstarch Finger paint

• 3 tbsps. sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups cold water
• Food coloring
• Soap flakes or liquid dishwashing soap

Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold water and stir until mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Divide into four or five portions (in muffin tins or cups). Add a drop or two of food coloring to each portion and a pinch of soap flakes or soap. Stir and let cool. Store in airtight container.

Flour Finger Paint

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 cup cold water
• Food coloring or tempera paint

Put flour and salt in a saucepan and add add cold water. Beat with a whisk or rotary beater until smooth. Add hot water and boil until mixture is thick. Beat until smooth. Keep in refrigerator and add food coloring as needed.

Laundry Starch Finger Paint

• 1 cup laundry starch dissolved in cold water
• 1 qt boiling water
• 1 cup pure white soap flakes or powder
• Food coloring or poster paint

Add boiling water to starch and cold water mixture and boil until thick. Remove from heat and stir in soap. Divide into small containers and add food coloring as desired.

Paint Recipes

Poster Paint

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbps powdered tempera paint
• 2 tbps water
• 1/2 tsp. liquid starch or liquid detergent

Measure flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Add 1/4 cup flour paste into small jar or plastic container. Add tempera paint and water for each color. For opaque finish add liquid starch. For glossy finish had liquid detergent.

Condensed Milk Paint

• 1 cup condensed milk
• Food coloring

Mix one cup condensed milk with a few drops of food coloring. This makes a very bright, glossy colored paint.

Frosting Paint (non-edible)

• 1 cup powdered tempera paint
• 2 tbsps. wallpaper paste
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid laundry starch

Mix tempera paint with wallpaper paste. Add starch, mixing until thick enough to spread - like frosting. Place paint on a plastic lid and use popsicle sticks to spread.

Face Paint

• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. cold cream
• Food coloring

Stir together starch and cold cream until well-blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring. Using a small brush paint designs on child's face. Remove with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Face Paint for larger areas

• 1 tbsp. solid shortening
• 2 tbsps. cornstarch
• Food coloring

Mix shortening and starch together until smooth. Add food coloring. Use a sponge or your fingers to apply to face. Great for turning faces green on Halloween. Remove with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Egg Yolk Paint

• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp. water
• Food coloring

Mix egg yolk with water and lots of food coloring. Use a paint brush to paint on baked cookies. Return cookies to oven until egg has solidified.

Playdough Recipes

Oatmeal Playdough

• 1 part flour
• 1 part water
• 2 parts oatmeal

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Knead. Non-edible but not toxic if eaten by mistake.

Uncooked Playdough

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup salt
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tbsps. cornstarch
• Tempera paint or food coloring

Mix water, salt, oil and enough paint to make bright colors. Gradually work flour and cornstarch to consistency of bread dough.

Koolaid Playdough

• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsps. salad oil
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbsps. alum
• Koolaid for color

Boil salt in water until salt is dissolved. Add Koolaid for color. Add salad oil, flour and alum. Knead or process until smooth. Keeps for two months or longer.

Colored Playdough

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• Food coloring

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until ball forms. Knead until smooth.

Salt Playdough

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup flour

Mix ingredients and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when thick and rubbery. As mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make a workable dough.

Peanut Butter Playdough (edible!!)

• 18 oz. peanut butter
• 6 tbsps. honey
• Non-fat dry milk
• Cocoa for flavor

Mix all ingredients, adding enough dry milk to give make dough pliable. Shape, decorate with edible treats, and eat!

Clay Recipes

No-Bake Craft Clay

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 2 cups baking soda
• Food coloring
• Paint

Mix all ingredients except paint in saucepan over medium heat for 4 minutes until thick (like mashed potatoes). Add food coloring to water before mixture adding for color. Remove from heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Knead like dough. Store in airtight container.

Cookie Clay

• 2 cups salt
• 2/3 cups water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water

Mix salt with water in saucepan. Stir and boil. Add cornstarch and cold water. Keep heating if it does not get thick. Roll out dough on board floured with cornstarch. Dry and decorate ornaments.

Baker's Clay

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tsp. powdered alum
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Food coloring

Mix all ingredients in bowl. If too dry work in extra water with hands. Color by dividing and adding food coloring to each portion. Roll or mold as desired. Once molded or rolled bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 250 degree oven. Turn and bake another 1 1/2 hours. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly if desired and paint.

Bread Clay

• 6 slices white bread
• 6 tbps white glue
• 1/2 tsp. detergent or 2 tsp. glycerin
• Food coloring

Remove crusts from bread and knead with glue. Add either detergent or glycerin. Knead until no longer sticky. Separate into portions and add food coloring if desired. Shape and brush with equal parts of glue and water for a glossy coat. Allow to dry overnight to harden. Paint with acrylic paint. Seal with clear nail polish.

Modeling Clay

• 2 cups salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water (cold)

Stir salt and water over heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch and cold water. Mix until smooth, return to heat and cook until thick. Cool before using. Store in plastic bag.

Glue/Paste Recipes

Glue

• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbs. corn syrup
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup cold water

Mix water, syrup and vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Add this mixture slowly to first mixture. Stir constantly. Let stand overnight before using.

Homemade Paste

• 1/2 cup flour
• Cold water

Add cold water to 1/2 cup flour until a thick cream forms. Simmer on stove for 5 minutes. Add food coloring or flavoring if desired. Wet messy paint that takes a while to dry.

Paper Mache Paste

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup flour
• 5 cups lightly boiling water

Mix flour into one cup water until mixture is thin and runny, stir into boiling water. Gently boil and stir for 3 minutes. Cool before using. (Use with newspaper/newsprint strips for Paper mache).

Library Paste

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. alum
• 4 cups water
• Oil of cloves

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and cook until clear and thick. Add 30 drops of Oil of cloves and store covered.

Miscellaneous Recipes

Pasta Dye

• 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
• Food coloring

Mix alcohol and food coloring in bowl. Add small amounts of any type of pasta to liquid and gently stir. Dry on newspapers covered with wax paper. Do not allow children to eat pasta or drink alcohol.

Egg Dye

• 1/4 tsp. food coloring
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 tbs. vinegar

Measure liquids into a bowl. Separate into small bowls. Add food coloring to each mixture. Soak hard boiled eggs in dye.

Great Goop

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Food coloring

Boil water in saucepan - add cornstarch stirring until smooth. Add food coloring and stir. Remove from heat and cool. Child can play with the goop on any plastic covered surface.

Whipped Snow

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup pure laundry soap or flakes
• Electric mixer

Put water and soap in large bowl and beat with mixer until very fluffy. Add food coloring if desired. This can be molded into shapes and left to dry.

Homemade Silly Putty

• 2 parts white glue
• 1 part liquid starch

Mix ingredients and let dry until workable. Add more glue or starch if necessary. May not work on humid days. Store in airtight container.

Another Silly Putty

This is really kind of a tricky recipe because it's like making bread. You gotta make it a few times to get just the right texture. Also, cheaper brands of glue may not work as well because they have too much water in them.

Combine approximately 2 parts glue to 1 part liquid starch. Stir it up and it will stick to whatever you're stirring it with. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, add more liquid starch. If it won't stick to itself, add more glue. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want the mixture to get tougher and thicker, let it dry out a bit in the air. If you get it just right (and I rarely do,) it will pick up newsprint like the store bought stuff.

Silly putty is lots of fun to cut with scissors. Also use some playdough toys with it, or ice cube trays, muffin tins, plastic strawberry baskets, etc. Caution: This often sticks to clothes, hair, furniture. Wear a smock and play with this stuff in uncarpeted areas! If you get it on fabric, use vinegar to get it out.

Blubber

Again, watch out for cheap glue that has too much water in it.

Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup glue In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup water with 2 T Borax (You'll find this hidden away in a tiny recess of your detergent aisle) Now, while stirring the Borax mixture constantly, add the glue mixture. It should immediately glump up and look like blubber (Or at least what we imagine blubber to look like.) If it isn't really glumpy and tough, mix up more Borax mixture and add that to it. Use the same toys as with silly putty. This does not stick to things as much as silly putty.

Ooblik

This one sounds dumb, but your kids will like it.

In a large pan with sides or on a tray with sides, pour in a bunch of cornstarch. Add a little bit of water. Let the kids mix it up with their fingers. If it's too stiff to mix, add more water until it's just a little bit stiff. Add toys like funnels, measuring cups, wooden spoons, spatulas, or be creative! To save this mixture, let it dry out completely, then put it in a plastic bag for another rainy day.

Of course, there's always the old stand-bys of sand and water, mud etc.

Page Revised 03/27/2010