Some Recipes for Homemade Art Materials

    Would you like to make something out of clay, but you don't have any natural or commercial clay, let alone a kiln to fire it in?  Do you like to play with Play Doh, but want a cheaper version?    How about silly putty, or green slime? How would you like to try some other Art materials to work with, things that can be dried or baked to make many new things out of?

   Well, here are few tried and tested recipes for a wide variety of materials that can be fun and cheap to make.  Give them a try, and have some fun while being creative.

CLAY RECIPE FOR "COOKIE" ORNAMENTS
 (overnight drying methods)

Fiix:

2 cups salt
2/3 cup water

Stir and boil.

Add:

1 cup cornstarch
1/2 Cup cold water

Stir. If it doesn't get thick, set back on the stove. Use extra cornstarch on table and rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Use straw for making hole at the top for hanging. Dry and decorate. Use paint, glitter, etc. Remember, these are not edible!


BREAD CLAY RECIPE

Whoever said that plain old white bread isn't worth anything! Just remove the crusts from 6 pieces of white bread and knead them with 6 Tbsp. of white glue plus either  tsp. detergent or 1 tsp. glycerene. Knead mixture till it becomes nonsticky. Separate into portions and tint with food coloring. Shape and when done, brush with equal parts glue and water for a smooth appearance. Let dry overnig   ⁄ht to harden. Paint which will seal and preserve would be acrylic paints or plastic spray. Or use clear nail


LIBRARY PASTE

Mix in a saucepan:

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. alum
4 cups water

Cook until clear and thick. Add 30 drops oil of cloves or wintergreen (etc.) and store covered.


HOMEMADE "SILLY PUTTY"

Mix well:

2 parts white glue (Elmer's) 1 part Sta-Flo liquid starch

It needs to dry a bit before it is "workable." It may be necessary to add a touch more glue or starch. You will have to experiment. It may not work well on a humid day. Store in airtight container.

Note: If you use Elmer's School Glue instead of regular white, it doesn't bounce or pickup pictures, but it makes a gooey delight you   -r kids will love. Use on a smooth surface.

Homemade "Silly Putty" has the same nasty characteristics of commercial Silly Putty. Beware of contact with clothes and carpet.

You will probably find yourself supporting Elmer's Company--both for their regular glue and their school (more washable) glue. But home paste will work for many projects.


NO COOK PASTE

Mix:

handful of flour

Add:

water till gooey

Add:

a pinch of salt

This same recipe can also be used as a quickie finger paint concoction by adding some food coloring and working it on heavy paper or cardboard. Also works well as a papier mache paste.

LIGHTWEIGHT GLUE

Egg white makes a good adllesive to glue the paper of kites. It is strong and almost weightless.


PLAY DOUGH

Mix:

1 cup white flour
1/2 Cup salt
1 Tbsp. vegeta   Ñble oil

1 tsp. alum (if you can't find it at the grocery store, try a drug store)

Add a small amount of water at a time until consistency of bread dough. It will not be more that 1/2 cup. Add food coloring, preferably to the water before mixing. You can make colors not available, such a purple, by creatively mixing colors. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag. It lasts a long time.


PLAY DOUGH A LA PEANUT BUTTER

Mix:

1 jar of peanut butter (18 oz.)

6 Tbsp. honey

non-fat dry milk or milk plus flour to the right consistency

Optional: cocoa or carob for chocolate flavor

Shape . . . Decorate (raisins?) . . and Edible!


CLAY RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
(oven drying method)

Mix well in a large bowl:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tsp. powdered alum
1 1/2 Cups water

If the dough is too dry, work in another tablespoon of water with your hands. Dough can be colored by divid    ing it into several parts and kneading a drop or two of food coloring into each part. Roll or mold as desired.

To Roll: Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutters dipped in flour. Make a hole in the top, 1/4 inch down, for hanging, by using the end of a plastic straw dipped in flour. Shake the dots of clay from the straw and press on as decorations.

To Mold: Shape dough no more that 1/2 inch thick into figures such as flowers, fruits, animals, etc. Insert a fine wire in each for hanging.

Bake ornaments on ungreased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 250° oven. Turn and bake another 1 1/2 hours till hard and dry. Remove and cool. When done, sand lightly with fine sandpaper till smooth. Paint with plastic-based poster, acr   Aylic paint or markers. Paint both sides. Allow paint to dry and seal with clear shellac, spray plastic or clear nail polish.


PLAY DOUGH

Mix in a medium pot:

1 cup white flour cup salt

2 Tbsp. cream of tartar

Combine and add:

1 cup water

2 tsp. vegetable food coloring

1 Tbsp. oil

Cook over medium heat and stir (about 3-5 minutes). It will look like a "globby" mess and you'll be sure it's not turning out . . . but it will. When it forms a ball in the center of the pot turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag. Edible, but not as tasty as the peanut butter!

When using play dough, don't neglect those necessary pieces of equipment: cookie cutters, rolling pins, plastic knives, bottle caps, extra flour, uncooked spaghette or macaroni, walnut half-shells, etc.


CLAY FOR PLAY AND POSTERITY
(baking method)

Mix:

1 cup salt cup water

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil Add:

2 cups flour

After shaping, the clay can be baked at 250 degrees for several hours.


CLAY FOR PLAY AND POSTERITY
(overnight drying methods)

Mix:

1 cup cornstarch

2 cups baking soda (1 lb.)

1 1/4 cups cold water

Stir in a sauce pan over medium heat for about 4 minutes until the mixture thickens to moist mashed potato consistency. Remove from the heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth till cool. Knead as you would dough. Shape as desired or store in airtight container or plastic bag. For color, add a few drops of food coloring to the water before it is mixed with starch and soda. Or objects may be left to dry a   ¸nd then painted with water colors or acrylics. Dip in shellac or brush with clear nail polish.


FIINGER PAINTS

Finger painting with small children does not occupy their attention for as long as we would like (cleaning up always seems to take longer than play time) but it's worth the effort for the discovery and fun value. Do not "show" your child how to use finger paints as you think they should be used. Thc adventure is the best part. Sometimes, it will be fun for him/hner just to feel the cool, smooth paint and see the bright colors.


# 1 FINGER PAINTS

3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water food coloring

Mix the first two ingredients and then add the water. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until well blended. Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 portions and add a different food coloring to each, plus a pinch of detergent. The latter facilitates cleaning up.

Brushes: Try a pastry brush if you can spare yours. These have wider handles and the less flexible brush cuts down on splat       ters.

Or try cotton swabs. A swab can be used for each color so that paint (hopefully) remains unmixed and bright.

On floor (if not carpeted) covered with newspapers is otten the best painting place since it often has to be cleaned after a painting session anyway!


#2 FINGER PAINTS

1/2 cup dry laundry starch
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup soap flakes
1 tsp. glycerine
food coloring

Mix starch and cold water in a saucepan. Pour in the boiling water and cook over low heat till shiny. Remove from the heat and add soap and glycerine. Divide the portions and add different food coloring. Variation: Just beat warm water into Lux or Ivory Flakes till consistency desired and add paint or food coloring. If you don't wish to go to the "trouble" to mix finger paints, add a drop of food coloring to aerosol    shaving soap and let your child do his/her thing on a cookie sheet.

Regarding regular water-based paint, a good investment is powdered poster paint which can be found in an art supply or crafts store.


Thin Paste:
Mix:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp. powdered alum

Gradually add 1 cup water, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps.

Boil until clear and smooth, stirring
constantly.
Add 3/4 cup water and 1/4 tsp oil of winter-
green. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

To speed up drying, bake in a 200° F oven for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the article. To give the article a permanent finish, spray with shellac or varnish.

Articles molded from this compound have a lovely wood-grain appearance. They can also be sanded to give a smmother finish.

SAWDUST MODELING COMPOUND

You will necd:

1 cup fine sawdust food coloring (optional) old newspaper
1 cup thin paste or paper paste shellac or clear varnish (optional)

How to Make it:
1. If desired, dye sawdust with food coloring.
Drain and spread on newspaper to dry before
using.
2. Mix sawdust and paste to a thick dough-
like consistcncy. Knead until thorougly
mixed. The amount of paste may vary accord-
ing to the kind of sawdust used. If the saw-
dust is coarse, more paste may bc needed to
obtain the proper consistency.

How to use it: Model as with clay. Pieces of dough may be added to the basic piece by moistening and sticking them down.

Within two to three days, the finis'ned article will harden.

SOAPSUDS CLAY

You will need:

3/4 cup soap powder, such as lvory Snow

1 tablespoon warm water

How to make it:

Mix soap   ¡ powder and water in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric beater to a claylike consistency.

How to use it:

Mold into figurcs and other objects. The clav dries to a permanently hard finish.

To make simulated snow: Beat 2 parts soap powder to 1 part water and spread like icing on a piece of heavy cardboard. This "icing" may also be used to decorate cardboard Christmas tree ornaments. It dries to a smooth, rubbery surface overnight.


EXTRA SOFT PAPIER-MACHE PULP

You will need:

paper napkins, cleansing tissues, or toilet tissue

thin paste or white houshold glue

How to make it:
1. Crumple napkins or tissue and cover with
paste.
2. Model to desired shape.

How to use it: This pulp is an especially good material for adding such details as noses, ears, eyebrows and so forth to larger pieces .

It does not keep and must be used immediately.


STRIP PAPIER-MACHE

You will need:

a stack of newspapers thin paste

How to make it:
1. Tear newspap   <ers from the fold down. For
large objects, tear the strips 1 to 1 1/2
inches wide. For small objects, tear the
strips narrower.
2. If Paste is thick, thin it for easy
spreading.
3. Lay paper stips on a sheet of news-
paper and cover one side of the strips
with paste. Strips may also be pulled
through paste, but they will take longer
to dry. Or paste can be applied to the
object and the dry strips laid over the
paste.

How to use it:

Strip Papier-Mache is a good material for making small animals, puppets, pinatas, masks, and other articles.

Cover your base (a ballon, a rolled newspaper frame, a jar, a light bulb) With strips of paste-covered newspaper. Apply a second layer of strips inthe same manner, running these strips in the opposite direction. Continue this way until you have built up 4 or 5 layers. To help you determine when you have completely covered the object with each layer, use the colored comic sections for alternate layers.

Allow 1 to 2 days for drying.


GREEN SLIME

Color a small amount of water with green food coloring. Add the water to one cup of cornstarch until the mixture is of a "slimy" consistency.