Homemade Watercolor Paints

One of the most frequent requests I hear from the boys is "can we paint?" I have a small stash of craft paints that we use most weeks. The watercolor paints we've tried in the past don't seem to work after a while (cheap? low quality? I'll never know)

I'm all for trying new, especially homemade, things and love that someone else has figured out the science to make homemade watercolors.

Don't be intimidated. You can make these too.

Ingredients:

1 cup Baking Soda
3/4 cup Vinegar
2 TBsp Corn Syrup
1 cup Corn Starch
Food coloring

Tools Needed:

Mixing bowl (as needed)
Measuring cup (at least 2 cup) with a spout
Popsicle sticks
Ice Cube trays
Whisk

 

Slowly pour vinegar into the baking soda a little at a time, making sure to let it bubble out as needed.

 

After it bubbles, whisk in corn syrup.

 

I had to switch to a bowl to stir in the corn starch and pour it back into the measuring cup to get it into the ice cube tray.

 

Fill each cube half way and then stir in as much color as you like. You'll have enough to make 3 trays like this. Use plastic bathroom cups or just dump the extra in the garbage.

 

Here are the colors we picked. You need to let them dry for 2-3 days before using. If they're still sticky or leave a print when you touch them, they're not dry enough.

 

And the extra cups that made it. These will take 3 or more days depending on how much paint is in each cup. More paint = more waiting

 

They work!

 

Technique is everything.

 

I couldn't let the kids have all the fun.

 

Finished works of art.