How To… Make (more) Homemade Paint & Create Cool Kid’s Storage Jars

It is that time of year again, when the UK bloggers get all excited about the upcoming MAD Blog Awards! It is the Mummy and Daddy Blog Awards celebrating Uk parenting bloggers each year. I am very excited to be a *finalist* in two of the categories – Best Craft Blog and Best Family Fun Blog – which is only the case, THANKS TO YOU, voting FOR ME! I would really appreciate it, if you could VOTE for me  *just one more time* and help me maybe win in one of the two categories. Every vote counts. So do, get that finger clicking and help  me out!

What I really like about the MADs, is that it gives me the opportunity to discover new blogs or revisit blogs I haven’t read for a while – and today’s guest poster is just one of those – the wonderful Lucy from Lulastic. The post she is sharing with you today, is in fact the post I “first remember” reading on her site – these cool, funky storage jars, which she then filled with up with our Homemade Paint recipe (from another fabulous Guest Poster). Lucy is all about eco friendly living, upcycling and charity shop treasures. So this post is  perfect representation of what she writes about. But should you explore her blog further (which you should!), you will also find a great post about her nappy free baby approach, why she has stopped washing her hair  and all about creating a home out of recycled leftovers. So. Please do go and visit this great competitor of mine, as we are both up for “Best Craft Blog of the Year”. Good luck to us both!! 

Over to Lucy.

We visited my sister’s family in Gloucester this past weekend, glamping (well, it was in a caravan and we had bunting?) in their paddock. Ooh, twas lovely chilling with them all, apart from the incessant rain and freezingness. Instead of celebratory Easter Eggs I took them home made finger paints –  something that might fuel their imaginations rather than their existing bouncing off walls tendancy (this is still edible though, Ramona reveals every time she uses them!)

A little while ago Louise from Sew Scrumptious posted about these most amazing jar lids she had crafted up. I duly tucked it away in my mind’s craft drawer and have been searching for little figures ever since. My heart leapt into my throat and my hands got the shakes (you don’t have this reaction when pouncing on a proper bargain?) when I nabbed this WHOLE BAG of little fellas for £2 at a car boot last week.

Red Ted Art (kids craft queen) posted a recipe for home made finger paints a wee while ago. It is just a few ingredients and I always have them in my kitchen. I have a great love of this kind of easy crafting and avoidance of toxins.

Together I reckon they made an awesome pressy. (You are allowed to say that if the ideas weren’t yours, eh?)

The Finger Paints

1/2 tsp spoon salt

1 cup corn flour

3 tbs spoons sugar

2 cups water

Beat it all together in a pan while heating over a hot element. When thickened allow to cool. Pour into jars and add a couple of drops of food colouring.

The jars

I used Barts Fairtrade spices jars, a nice little size.

Spray paint lids and figures seperately with a white under coat.

Keeping them seperate give them a few licks of a bright acrylic paint.

Using super glue or a hot glue gun stick the figures onto your lid.

GIVE IT UP FOR EASY CRAFTS ALL AROUND THE WORLD!

Thank you Lucy for stopping by and sharing these brilliant gifts with us – I love that you made this as an alternative to Easter chocolate! Great idea! And they look so fabulous. I know my son would want to get stuck in straight away if he saw these – now how do I get old off some old figurines like these?!?!? Argh!

Happy homemade paint making everyone!