How to Make Non-Toxic Craft Supplies

(Here's a guest post about creating your own craft supplies at home!  I particularly like the glitter.  Maybe that's because I have a house full of fairies. Enjoy!)


Some of the best-selling craft supplies on the market are made with toxic ingredients that pose a significant danger to the health and safety of small children. When you buy craft supplies, you should always try to seek out all natural, water-based products that are labeled as non-toxic. You can also try making your own craft supplies using the recipes below.

Craft Paste

Boil one quart of water in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of salt. Gradually add just over 1 cup of flour, stirring the whole time to prevent lumping. Continue stirring until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick gravy. You may need to add a little more flour or water to achieve the desired result. Allow the mixture to cool before using. You can use the paste immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to five days. This craft paste works especially well for paper crafts and papier-mâché projects. 

Paper Glue

Cook and stir 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 1/2 cups of water, 4 tablespoons of light corn syrup, and 2 teaspoons of white vinegar over medium heat until thickened. Remove the mixture from the heat. In another dish, mix together 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add this to the heated mixture. Use the resulting glue immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to two months. This homemade glue recipe is great for scrapbooking, greeting cards, paper decorations, and other crafts that require transparent glue.

Finger Paint

Cook and stir 1/2 cup of cornstarch with 2 cups of water over high heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove the mixture from the heat and give it time to cool. Pour portions of the mixture into several small plastic containers. Add a few drops of food coloring into each container and stir the mixtures until the colors are evenly distributed. This homemade finger paint works best when used immediately. It is washable, but you may want to cover and protect things that are not stain resistant before painting.

Glitter

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1/4 cup of salt with a 1/2 teaspoon of food coloring in a small bowl until the salt is uniformly colored. Spread the mixture out in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for ten minutes. Allow your homemade glitter to cool before using it. You may also store it in an airtight container for several months. This glitter can be used for almost any type of project and may even be mixed with glue for special crafts.

Modeling Clay

Bring 2 cups of salt and 1 cup of water to a boil over high heat. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of cornstarch with enough cold water to form an easy-to-pour liquid. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture is very thick and transparent. Pour the entire mixture onto a large section of wax paper. When the mixture is cool, divide it into separate portions and knead each portion with a few drops of food coloring until the color is evenly distributed. Press each colored portion of the modeling clay into a brick. You can use the clay immediately or wrap it in wax paper and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months.

This is a guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes about health insurance quotes and related topics for www.healthinsurancequotes.org.

Green New Year's Resolutions: Meal Planning!

Mexican Pie, first try, from online meal plan

What are your green new year's resolutions?

I always make too many, so this year, I'm keeping it simple.  I'm trying to actually meal plan our dinners.  So far this week it isn't going well because neither my husband or I want to do "the big shop".  So, I need to print out my meal plan and hit the store-- hopefully without both kids in tow.  They are usually delightful children but the grocery store (or co-op) brings out the mischievous, clingy, and downright ornery spirit in both of them.  Really, with the bad lighting, the muzak, and lack of attention, you can't really blame them.  

I just put up a post at MightyNest about meal planning.  I found a great site that gives you a printed grocery list, and recipes for each week.  So far, I like about half the meals, and I blend the plans into something we can work with.  Check out the post to learn more about it.  And the comments so far are fantastic!  There is a wealth of information and ideas about meal planning there.  

And on an unrelated note, parents:  We've got our first lose tooth over here in our 5 year old.  What are your traditions around the losing of teeth?  Know any good books?  Any sweet ideas?  

Book Review: The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

I almost pried this book out of a friend's hand at a recent school board meeting.  One look and I knew I had to read it.  I'm always looking for ways to immerse our family in the spirit of creativity.  As I am sure many of you can relate to, at the end of a long work day, I simply don't feel all that creative.  I need some inspiration.  Don't you?

In steps Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family:  How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections.  This book is written with care and grace to help develop more creativity within your family.  It is filled with sweet ideas for how to engage and pursue crafts and art projects with natural and non-toxic materials. The book also describes how to infuse creativity in all your family does.

Take this incredible idea.  The Joy Jar.  A simple, sweet and beautiful gift idea.  It boils down to this (as I paraphrase from the book).  Think of someone you want to honor, or gift.  Then have your kids select a jar (a Ball jar works well), and have them decorate it with that person in mind.  Fill it with messages, on little strips of paper, about what gives you joy about that person.  The whole family can participate.  We made these for the grandparents.  I wrote down quotes from my 3 and 5 year olds, and a few myself, and dropped them in the jars.  We attached fabric to the top of the jar, and my oldest wrote their names on the jars.  Check it out above.  Sweetness such as, "I love the way my Nana smiles every time she sees me" and "I love when my Mimi dances with stuffed animals on her head." made it in these jars.  The grandparents LOVED them.

I was so inspired by the book, and took several ideas from it to use immediately. I have to give it back to the library, but will need to buy my own copy to return to.  The philosophy, the artistic guidance, and the many, many sweet project ideas are so worth owning this book.  I've barely scratched the surface.

Thanks to Amanda Blake Soule for writing this book, to remind us to slow down, and cultivate creativity among ourselves, and with our children.