Edible Paint for Kids | Homemade Paint Recipe

Erin and Out
May 29
2 min read

I think we can all agree that the worst part about paint is the cleanup. You might look down at your hands and find that they've turned a peculiar shade of purple, or darkened your fingernails a brilliant blue. For adults, this is a matter of meticulous scrubbing. For kids, these colors scream only one thing: put me in your mouth!

Paint may look tempting to little minds but is certainly not something you want your child to ingest. Many paints, even those that claim to be non-toxic, contain a startling amount of preservatives. Paint laced with lead, formaldehyde and plastic? No, thank you!

Fortunately for the young artist, the solution is simple: create with edible paint! This easy recipe uses colors from your kitchen and is 100% kid-safe. In fact, once your little ones are done creating, why don't they give their art a taste?

Materials

Edible Art Instructions
Watercolor Paper
Paintbrushes (or just use your fingers!)
Warm Water
Clean Egg Carton
Honey

Step 1: Make Your Paint

Reference the natural dye guide in the Edible Art Instructions to choose your ingredients. Prepare each ingredient as follows:

Spices

Combine 1 TSP of spice with 3 TSP of water. Mix well.

Berries

Use a spoon to grind down 3-4 berries and extract juices. Add water until diluted.

Teas

Steep each teabag in hot water for 5 minutes. For stronger colors, steep the tea for longer. Remove the teabag once satisfied with color.

Step 2: Add Your Binder

If you've made my Nature-Inspired Paint, you'll know that there's an array of binders out there. For this recipe, you'll want to stick with honey. The honey will help your dyes bind to the paper (and make them extra delicious!)

Add 1/2 TSP of honey to all your dyes.

Step 3: Let's Create!

Now that you've made your paint, it's time to create! Apply your homemade paint to watercolor paper. If your paints are too thin, add more base ingredient. If they're too thick, add a few drops of water.

Let your work dry overnight. Don't forget to give it a taste test when finished!