How to Make Paste Out of Simple Kitchen Items

The cost of seemingly inexpensive art supplies can pile up quickly if you have one or more artistic children. The problem is exacerbated during the winter and summer vacations as parents often turn to craft projects to occupy bored children. One way to save money on art supplies is to make them yourself. Making your own art supplies could also save you a trip to the store when you discover mid art project that you have run out of a necessary material.

The following easy to make project calls for inexpensive items such as cornstarch and water to make paste. The project does not require any cooking or other kind of heating. It also does not require any tools so it is safe for children to make without direct adult supervision. The resulting paste is also non-toxic which is helpful if you take care of a child that has a penchant for eating paste.

You will need the following implements to make the paste: a small mixing bowl and a wooden spoon.

You will also need the following ingredients to make the paste:

6 teaspoons cornstarch

8 teaspoons cold water

Feel free to save time by making large batches of the paste at once. Simply double or triple the ingredients called for in the recipe. Store any left over paste in zip lock bags; I suggest that you store the bags in the refrigerator to increase the shelf life of the paste.

To make the paste place 8 teaspoons of cold water in the mixing bowl. Next add the 6 teaspoons of cornstarch. Stir the mixture thoroughly taking care to break up any cornstarch clumps until the mixture has the consistency of paste. Allow the mixture to set for ten to fifteen minutes then stir it again. The paste will be ready to use at this time. Use it as you would any other paste, applying it with your fingers or popsicle sticks.

If you would like you can also add food coloring to the paste, after you have made it. You will need roughly 8 drops of food coloring for the 14 teaspoons of resulting paste made from the above recipe. If you would like to use a primary color simply add the food coloring you have chosen to the finished paste and stir it until it is well blended and the color is homogenous. If you wish to use a secondary color mix the food coloring in a separate container before you add it to the paste. If the color is not bold enough for your liking feel free to add a few more drops of food coloring and stir the paste again. Colored paste is pretty and is also suitable for painting objects such as clay figures or other craft projects. The paste will dry hard and stay on the object for a long time.