Thursday, July 11, 2013

crafternoon delight: microwave puffy paint

I am not the biggest fan of crafting with small children. It seems a little too much like work to me. But now that we live somewhere that actually rains from time to time, and have children who are into being creative, I have to concede it's time to put aside my own fear of playdough in the carpet and get to it. This week, we painted, in a scientific way.

Microwave Puffy Paint Recipe

1. Mix equal parts self-raising flour and table salt.
2. Add water, stirring, to a thick custard consistency.
3. Add colour.

We blobbed paint onto little mini-canvases (a cereal box cut into squares) using cotton buds. You need nice thick painting. Squeezy bottles would work a treat for this.
 
Then zap the masterpieces into the microwave (we did 30seconds on medium. You will know if you have the wrong setting if you set the painting on fire), and marvel in the crafty puffiness.
 
 
Uses recycled materials? Yes
Need to buy expensive things from an art store? No
Keeps children occupied? Yes, until we ran out of card. I think they would have kept going, too.
Creates something to keep? Not sure, I think the mini cakes hanging on the wall may attract vermin at some point. More of a 'process, not product' activity.

Have a lovely crafternoon!

5 comments:

  1. Great idea and love the notion of using what you have to hand. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ha...I am with you...not entirely sold on crafting...or at least not yet.
    So far craft is something for childcare to do or something that I will only tackle if Toddler C has friends over and so I have some other mothers as reinforcements.
    And as craft has so far been an outside activity, the whole rainy day craft thing doesn't work for me!
    But I will keep trying...I like the idea of a puffy pain masterpiece!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love it! I haven't seen this recipe idea before either, where were you a week ago on the rainy qld school holidays! mel x

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's so nifty. I must give it a try. Crafting with kids can be fun once you give up on having your own materials. My kids were horrified when I suggested not sharing my new water colour pencils because they were special. Give it some time and playdough can come out of the carpet too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ooh dude, i've got to add this to my list. Might do it today, in fact.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...