11 Art Supplies You Can Make at Home with Your Kids

Art supplies can get expensive, especially when you have particularly artistic children who want to create art all the time! In this article, we’ll help you save money and make memories by making your own art supplies at home with your kids. :-)

1. Glue

You and your kids can make homemade glue with items you probably already have. For instance; flour, cornstarch, and milk are used in some recipes. Making glue gives kids a sense of pride and lets them have fun using their own glue for their artwork, plus it saves you money! The good people at Snappy Living have a range of glue recipes you can read here.

2. Slime

Slime is always a hit with children of all ages! Kids everywhere have been making their own slime for decades, so its not too late to get in on the fun. Making slime is easy and fun. Most recipes call for borax, such as the one from Home Science Tools. There are some recipes that don’t require borax, such as the ones found in this article from CNET. You'll be surprised just how easy it is!

3. Bubbles

Making bubbles at home is fun, cheap and best of all, it can be made in a matter of minutes! First, grab a large cup. Then, combine 1/2 cup dish soap, 1 1/2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar to create your very own bubble solution. If you dont have any bubble wands at home, you can use straws and string to make one of almost any size. Check out this guide from PBS for making a giant bubble wand!

4. Chalk

All kids love playing with chalk, especially on the pavement! If your kids want to create something with chalk, but you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make homemade chalk. All you need is plaster of Paris, powdered tempura paint, a mixing bowl, and molds. You can even use toilet paper rolls as molds! Check out this recipe from Instructables and give it a go!

5. Paint

Buying paint isn’t always an option because of cost, especially if your kids LOVE to paint and use it all up! The good news is that you can make paint at home with your kids, and it's a lot of fun creating it. You can make watercolors, “puffy” paint, edible paint, and more. In this article from Happy Hooligans, you’ll find instructions for 11 paints that you can make at home with everyday ingredients.

6. Play-Do

Play dough is a great art supply, but if you run out, don’t worry about running to the store. Instead, you and your kids can make your own play dough from the comfort of home. The materials are staples you are likely to already have: one cup of flour, 1/4 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of water, and a few drops of food colouring. Start by mixing the flour and salt, then mix the water and food coloring, then slowly pour into the flour mixture until the dough is just right!

7. Coloured Sand

If you already have sand, then you can put it to good use by adding colour and letting your kids have fun! Simply divide the sand into plastic sandwich bags. Then, add several drops of food coloring. Let the kids mix the color around in the bags and voila - it’s that easy!

8. Coloured Pasta

Colored pasta is a must-have for art projects! If you have regular pasta, then you’ll only need a few other ingredients: food coloring, vinegar, plastic sandwich bags, and paper towels. Divide the pasta into bags, then add a few drops of food coloring and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Seal the bags, and let the kids mix the colors similar to the sand. Then you’ll need to set the pasta out on the paper towels to dry. Once completely dry, you're all set to let your kids begin their pasta creations!

9. Stamps

Kids love stamps, but buying stamps isn’t cheap! Apartment Therapy offers a listing of instructions for making stamps out of everyday items, such as potatoes, apples, bottle tops, and more. For ink, your kids can use their ink pads or their own DIY paint from the instructions in number 5 above!

10. Coloured Rice

Colored rice is so much fun during art time! Make your own by putting rice into plastic sandwich bags with 1/4 cup of vinegar and a few drops of food coloring. Again, let the kids mix the colors, and once they’re thoroughly combined, let them dry on paper towels before putting the rice to artistic use!

11. Lickable Sticker Glue

Your kids can turn any piece of paper into a sticker by helping you create lickable sticker glue. This is fun for kids of all ages! You can find the entire recipe at Aunt Annie’s Crafts.

Making homemade art supplies makes memories outside of making art, and the time spent together is priceless! If you have any recipes for your own home made art materials - share them in the comments below!