Homemade Tempera Paint

Yellow paint in a jar.

A fun way to spend a day with your child is to make edible paint. You can replicate tempera paint using ingredients already in your kitchen. By using food coloring you can make edible paint. Your child will enjoy making the recipes with you and painting with your homemade paints. You can encourage your child's imagination when you paint along with them and create special art using special paint. Paint your art and eat it too.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (vinegar paint)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (vinegar paint)
• 1 can condensed milk (condensed milk paint)
• 1 dozen pasteurized eggs (egg yolk paint)
• Glycerin (Glycerin paint)
• 1 1/4 cup flour (Glycerin paint)
• 3 cups water (Glycerin paint)
• 3 cups water (Kool-Aid paint)
• 2 cups flour (Kool-Aid Paint)
• 2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid
• 1/4 cup salt (Kool-Aid paint)
• 3 tablespoons oil (Kool-Aid paint)
• 1 package vanilla pudding (pudding paint)
• Paintbrushes
• Plastic cups
• Food coloring
• Plastic container
• Bowl

Instructions

Vinegar Paint

1. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar into your container.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add a few drops of food coloring at a time until you have the color you want.

3. Place a lid on your container.

4. Shake your mixture. If your mixture is too thick, add more vinegar. If mixture is too thin, add more cornstarch.

Condensed Milk Paint

1. Pour out 1/4 cup of condensed milk into a container.

2. Add the food coloring of your choice to your condensed milk.

3. Mix your food coloring and condensed milk to make glossy tempera paint.

Egg Yolk Paint

1. Break an egg over a bowl and separate your egg yolk from your egg white. You will need separate egg yolks for each color.

2. Transfer your egg yolk to your plastic cup.

3. Pour 1/4 cup of water into your cup. Mix your egg yolk and water mixture.

4. Add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice a little at a time to your egg and water mixture. Add more food coloring until you have your desired color.

Glycerin Paint

1. Put 1 1/4 cups of white flour into a bowl.

2. Mix in 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of glycerin into a separate bowl. Mix together your water and glycerin.

3. Combine your glycerin mixture to your flour.

4. Separate your flour mixture into separate containers. Add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice until you have your desired color.

Kool-Aid Paint

1. Boil 3 cups water in a saucepan. Let your water cool down after it has boiled.

2. Pour 2 cups of flour into a bowl.

3. Add 2 packs of unsweetened Kool-Aid of your choice to your flour.

4. Add 1/2 cup salt to your flour and Kool-Aid. Mix all your dry ingredients together.

5. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to your boiled water.

6. Pour out a little water at a time once your water mixture has cooled to a lukewarm temperature. Add it slowly to your dry ingredients.

7. Mix your dry mixture each time after you pour in your water.

8. Separate your mixture into cups. Add your food coloring a few drops at a time until you have your desired color.

Pudding Paint

1. Mix your vanilla pudding according to the directions on your package. Let your pudding mixture cool to room temperature.

2. Pour your pudding mixture into plastic cups.

3. Add a few drops of food coloring to your cups until you have your desired colors.

Tips & Warnings

• You may need more than one can of condensed milk for your condensed milk paint, depending on how many colors you choose to make.

• You may need to use more pudding packages for your pudding paint.

• All these recipes replicate tempera paint. To make actual tempera paint, substitute powdered tempera paint for food coloring.

• When making your egg yolk paint, use only pasteurized eggs to reduce the chance of food born illnesses like salmonella.

• While these recipes are made of edible ingredients, it is best to paint on paper plates or wax paper if you plan to consume any of the recipes.

• Do not eat these recipes if you are using colored construction paper.

• If you are substituting powdered tempera paint for food coloring, do not consume any of these recipes.

• Do not make the color vermilion with powdered tempera paint. Vermilion is a toxic color.

References

• Laura Tantillo Caccavale; Kindergarten Teacher; Alcott Montessori School; Scarsdale, New York
• Loveyourbaby.com: How to Make Fingerpaint