Recipes for Children's Crafts

Have you ever been short on ideas of how to entertain your children on the days they can't go outside to play, and when you do come up with ideas, you just don't have the recipes for children's crafts?

Well I'm going to give you a few recipes on different children's crafts you can make at home that will surely entertain any child for hours. I believe they will like the idea of making these items rather than you purchasing them from the store, because making them is half the fun.

Besides, the purpose for making these recipes is to keep them busy and occupied for hours, so they will forget that they can't go outside.

You should already have most of the materials for these craft recipes, but I will give you a list of things you will need so you can have them on hand when you need them. Some can be purchased at your grocery store, and the others can probably be purchased at a craft store. If you can't find them at the craft store, you can always search online.

Items You Will Need

- Powdered Paint - White Glue - Liquid Starch - Oil of Cloves - Food Coloring - Soap Flakes - Glycerin
- Glazed Paper - Cornstarch (or dry starch) - Salt - Muffin Pan - Vegetable Oil - Liquid Tincture of Green Soap
- Flour - Cream of Tartar - Plastic Bags - Baking Soda - Shellac - Fuller's Earth - Plain Yogurt - Emery Board
- Small Empty Jars

Paint Recipes
There are several children's craft recipes for making paint that your child can use to finger paint, so you can choose which recipe you want to use. If time is a factor, then I would suggest using the easiest, and I'll start with that recipe first.

1 teaspoon of food coloring
½ cup of liquid starch

Just mix the food coloring into the liquid starch. If you want different colors then use a muffin pan and put a small amount of liquid starch in each section, then add the colors you want.

8 tablespoons of powdered paint
1 teaspoon of white glue
2 tablespoons of liquid starch
3 drops of oil of cloves

Mix all these ingredients together in a container and you will have your paint.

1 ½ cups of dry starch
4 cups of boiling water
1 ½ cups of soap flakes
2 tablespoons glycerin
1 tablespoon of food coloring

Mix the cold water to 1 ½ cups of dry starch. It needs to be the consistency of paste. Slowly add 4 cups of boiling water while constantly stirring. Cook this mixture on low heat until it becomes clear. When the mixture is warm, add the 1 ½ cups of soap flakes, then stir them in. Next add the 2 tablespoons of glycerin.

Make sure the mixture is stirred really well. Add your food coloring either to a portion of this mixture or to all of the mixture, it depends on how many children you're trying to entertain. If you don't use it all, pour the rest into a container and store it in the refrigerator. When your children are ready to paint, it would be best to use glazed paper with this particular paint.

1 cup of cornstarch or dry laundry starch
1 cup of soap flakes
½ cup of salt
1 quart of water
1 teaspoon of glycerin
2 drops of oil of clove

Use a double boiler and mix in the 1 cup of cornstarch or dry starch and just enough water to make a thin paste. Then add 1 cup of soap flakes, ½ cup of salt and the 1 quart of water into the double boiler and cook this mixture until it thickens. If it is too thick, then add a little more water. Mix together with an egg beater, then pour this mixture into your small empty jars. Mix in the food coloring you want in each jar. Add 2 drops of the oil of clove for fragrance and the 1 teaspoon of glycerin to make this paint easier to use.

6 tablespoons of dry starch
1 quart of boiling water
1 drop of oil of cloves

Add enough water to the 6 tablespoons of dry starch until the starch is smooth and liquid. Then add this slowly into the 1 quart of boiling water. Stir this mixture until it is thick. Put 1 drop of oil of cloves into the mixture and stir. Pour this mixture evenly into the muffin pan, then mix in the food coloring you want.

Recipe For Blowing Bubbles
You don't ever have to spend your money on blowing bubbles again. Just use this fast and easy recipe anytime your child runs out. Find a nice plastic container to pour the mixture into. A container that your child won't have trouble holding. Or if you previously purchased a container of bubbles, keep that and the blow stick. However, if you need a blow stick, I use to make mine out of pipe cleaners or buss wire.

4 cups of water
12 teaspoons of glycerin
8 teaspoons of liquid tincture of green soap (or grated up soap)

Just mix the ingredients together in a container and let them sit for at least 24 hours before your child uses it. Pour what you need into their container and store the rest.

Recipe For Silly Putty
Silly putty is another item you don't have to purchase again. It only takes 2 ingredients and is as easy to make as mixing together...

1 part of liquid starch
2 parts of Elmer's Glue

Slowly mix 1 part liquid starch into 2 parts of Elmer's glue. If you feel this is too sticky, then you can add a little more starch. Then this needs to be covered and kept in the refrigerator all night. The next day when your silly putty is ready, you can either pull, twist or cut it with scissors and divide it up between the children.

Recipe For Monster Makeup
This makeup can be used at Halloween or whenever your children need to dress up in costume. It's easy to make and shouldn't irritate their skin.

1 teaspoon of fuller's earth
1 teaspoon of plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of water
3 drops of food coloring

Just mix the above ingredients together and you have your face makeup. Apply this mixture gently to your child's face, but avoid the eye and mouth areas. If you want to, you can use lipstick and mascara on the mouth and eyes. If you want the makeup to remain white, don't mix in the food coloring. This mixture washes easily off your child's face with water.

Recipes For Modeling Clay
All these clay craft recipes are very easy to make, even the ones that need to be heated are easy and fast. The best thing about modeling clay is that the different recipes can be used for so many projects. Even though the Victorian Salt clay (last recipe) is easy, it's more involved than the other recipes, but what I like about it is that it can be used to make jewelry.

2 ½ cups of flour
1 cup of water
1cup of salt
3 drops of food coloring (optional)

Mix the above ingredients together and keep the mixture in the refrigerator.

1 cup of water
1 cup of salt
1 cup of flour
3 drops of food coloring (optional)

Mix all the above ingredients together and heat it until it becomes thick. Make sure the clay is cool before your children use it.

1 cup of salt
2 cups of flour
2 cups of water
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of cream of tartar
3 drops of food coloring

Mix together all the above ingredients in a pot over low heat. Constantly stir this mixture until it gets stiff and starts to separate from the sides of the pot. When the mixture cools, you can store the clay in either a plastic bag or any container with a lid.

1 cup of cornstarch
2 cups of baking soda
1 ½ cups of cold water
3 drops of food coloring

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and heat over medium heat. Constantly stir this mixture until it becomes dough-like. Then take it out of the pot and put it someplace covered with a damp cloth so it can cool. When your children finish making their crafts, why not preserve their work by putting a coat of shellac over them.

2 cups of salt
2/3 cups of water
1 cup of cornstarch
½ cups of cold water
3 drops of food coloring (optional)

This is the recipe for Victorian Clay. It can be used to make beads for jewelry as well as other craft projects. Just mix the 2 cups of salt and 2/3 cups of water in a pan over low heat. Stir this mixture constantly for 4 minutes. You don't want it to boil. Remove the mixture from the heat. Quickly mix together the 1 cup of cornstarch and the ½ cup of cold water, then add this to the warm mixture. Quickly mix and stir this together. If you don't get a thick paste, then put it back over low heat and continue stirring for another minute until you get a dough-like consistency.

Now you need to knead this clay on a smooth surface until it becomes pliable, then store it in either a plastic bag or a container that is airtight.

The food coloring can be added when you are kneading the clay, or when you cook it. It really doesn't matter when you add it. If you don't want the food coloring, then leave it out, because when the crafts are completed, you and your children can always paint them the color you want.

Just remember that it takes at least 2 days for clay craft projects to dry at room temperature, but you can preheat the oven at 350 degrees, then turn it off and put their models there to dry. By the time the oven has completely cooled, their craft projects should be dry. You can give the project a finished look by gently rubbing it with an emery board.

If they have made beads that need to dry, then go ahead and insert a toothpick through them to create the hole, then string them on a thin wire and let them air dry. For other projects with this homemade clay, why not roll it out like dough and use different cookie cutters to cut out shapes that can be painted when they dry.

I hope you enjoyed Recipes For Children's Crafts, and I hope you discovered something you want to try with your children on a cold or rainy day. These craft recipes are fun and will be something totally different for you and your children.