Paint up some fun outside with our easy cornstarch sidewalk paint! This recipe for homemade sidewalk paint is so easy, you can whip up a batch of creative fun for the driveway, sidewalk or patio in just a matter of … Continue reading
We made 3 ingredient puffy paint yesterday. I’ve written about puffy paint before, but I wanted to share yesterday’s results with you because they’re so awesome! I also figured there were probably a few of you who haven’t seen this stuff before, and you totally need to know how cool this process is, and how EASY it is to do.
Puffy paint is really easy to make (I’m including the link to the recipe at the bottom of this post), and the transformation that takes place when you microwave it is sure to impress kids and adults alike. 
The paint is the consistency of stirred yogurt, and we use Q-tips to blob it onto a piece of white cardboard or sturdy cardstock. I say “blob”, because you want to apply a thick, layer to your paper to get the best results.
It looks something like this when it’s wet.
After 30 seconds in the microwave, thanks to the self-rising flour, you get this beautiful, puffed up art!
Aren’t the results beautiful?
Art and Science all rolled into one activity! Gotta love it!
You can get the homemade puffy paint recipe here.
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Smoosh painting for Earth Day… Smoosh painting is a technique that’s great for kids of all ages. The way the colours blend and swirl together is fascinating, making it perfect for today’s Earth Day craft. If you’ve never done any … Continue reading
The hooligans and I tried something entirely new here yesterday! We made beautiful stained glass art using a very simple process and a few simple kitchen and crafting items.
You may have seen our Eric Carle Easter Eggs recently, which were inspired by Dilly Dali Art’s Eric Carle post. Our egg project had us painting on waxed paper for the first time, and it was such a beautiful process, I thought we’d experiment a little more, using that kind of canvas.
I really didn’t have any set project in mind when we started out. The process just kind of evolved as we were painting.
I suspect that any paint would work for this project, but I chose our crayola washable kids paints because of their vibrant colours and glossy, translucent quality.
For your convenience, I’ve included Amazon Affiliate links in this post.
I gave each hooligan a square of wax paper, and encouraged them to cover the entire surface with their paints.
I thought they would simply brush the paint all over the waxed paper, but a couple of them experimented by dabbing their paint all over the surface. That’s when my idea started to come together. (in case you’re wondering, the outside photos in the next image were taken under fluorescent lighting, while the middle one was taken in natural light in front of a window).
We were all so impressed by the finished results! Some of the younger hooligans simply spread their paint around, and some chose to paint sparingly, and skipped the bottle lid step. Each child decided how they wanted to their project to look. 
And they all turned out great. Here’s the whole collection:
When the paintings had dried, I held them up to the window for the hooligans to see, and WOW!
Isn’t this impressive?
To complete the project, I cut out some simple cardstock frames, and the hooligans glued them to them onto their paintings.
Then we taped them up in the window, and when the sun broke through the clouds and shone through the waxed paper, the paintings were even more beautiful! .
What a gorgeous way to add a pop of Spring colour to the windows!
Imagine painting a piece large enough to completely cover a window? Or to cover the panes in a french door? Hmmm, there may just be an idea for a future project here!
If you’re looking for another simple “stained glass” project to do with your hooligans, check out our stained glass easter eggs made with contact paper, tissue paper and yarn!
Happy crafting!