Make your own kid-friendly window paints using a liquid soap or shampoo plus cornstarch. Either food coloring or powdered tempera paints may be used to provide the color; both methods clean up with vinegar and water.
Food Coloring Paint
Things You'll Need
Plastic tablecloth
Small jars or containers with lids (one per color)
Clear or light-colored liquid dish soap
Cornstarch
Food coloring
Craft sticks, stir sticks or plastic spoons (one per color)
Step 1
Cover the work area with a plastic tablecloth. Open the jars or containers and set them atop the tablecloth.
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Step 2
Mix 2 parts liquid dish soap to 1 part cornstarch in each of the containers. Stir the ingredients with a craft stick, stir stick or plastic spoon until the cornstarch dissolves. The proportions need not be exact; add more soap or cornstarch as needed until the mixture is about as thick as latex or acrylic paint.
Step 3
Add a drop or two of food coloring into each container, stirring until the color is consistent throughout the paint. Add more coloring for a brighter shade.
Tip
Mix your own paint colors by combining food coloring shades. Red and blue make purple, while yellow and blue make green. Red and yellow create orange.
Tempera Paint Version
If you prefer not to use food coloring in your homemade window paints, use liquid or powdered tempera paints instead. Mix liquid dish soap or baby shampoo -- the clearer or lighter the better -- into small amounts of the tempera paint in a shallow bowl or disposable container until the desired colors are reached. Use enough soap so the consistency is similar to latex or acrylic paint, or stir in a little cornstarch.
Applying the Paint
Cover the window sill and frame with newspaper, taping the paper in place with painter's tape to protect it from dripped or spilled paint. Paint on the designs with artist's brushes, foam brushes or even cotton swabs. Use the paint with homemade craft stamps, cutting the stamp shapes out of craft foam or scrap upholstery foam. Stencils can also be used to create designs such as lettering or snowflakes. Tape the stencils in place; then brush the homemade paint on with a foam brush.
Cleanup Time
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Wipe the painted areas with dry paper towels to remove some of the paint. Clean up the rest with equal parts water and vinegar applied to a lint-free cloth instead of paper towels -- paper towels leave behind lint.