Face painting is a fun summer activity that you'll
find at festivals and fairs-often for free. But it's
fun to do this yourself for birthday parties, family
reunions or just some weekend fun. Of course
the best colors come from professional kits that
can be fairly expensive. I've found that most kids
don't care about perfection or fancy colors. The
painting itself is fun for them, and homemade paints
are gentle and do the job! Here is a good basic
recipes for homemade face paint:
Face Paint
You'll need:
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
Food coloring (paste coloring will give deeper colors)
Mix cornstarch and cold cream together until smooth.
Mix in water and food coloring. Store in an airtight
container. This washes off with soap and water.
Repeat this for each color.
Visit your local dollar store or look for store brand
cold cream. There is no need to use expensive
brands. One jar will make a lot of paint! Mix it up
baby food jars or film canisters and keep them
closed when not you aren't using them. Buy the
inexpensive brushes as well.
I've seen a lot of ideas for elaborate designs that
cover the entire face. This is fine IF the child has
the patience to sit through the entire process. Keep
in mind this is suppose to be fun and it won't be if
they start getting crabby and you have to keep asking
them to sit still. In my experience, the quick fun
designs are best. Small children who are first timers
may be hesitant-try painting their hand, and later they
may want their face painted.
Start with a clean face. Wipees work well for this.
Apply thin layers of paint and allow them to dry in
between colors. (Blow on the painted spot and
you'll not only dry it a little faster but you will have
a giggly kid too!)
Make your designs freehand or use stencils. If you
don't have any, check the bargain section of a craft
store or department. Usually there are some fun
designs--the sillier the better!
Also, wash your brushes between colors and
make sure the brush that it isn't too wet-it will
make the colors runny. Have papertowels on
hand to dry the brushes and cups of water for
washing between colors.
The best tip though is to have fun and take
a lot of great pictures for the scrap books!
About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is Mom to three little ones, a freelance writer
and editor here at OldFashionedLiving.
