DIY water colors

This is amazing...I love this idea. I have to do it with Jeff. He loves to paint.

DIY watercolorsI woke up early this morning to complete one last Christmas gift for my 2 1/2 year old son: watercolors! I had seen a DIY watercolor recipe in Whole Living some time ago and saved it, but you can find the same recipe all over the internet. It's really easy, non-toxic and the colors turned out beautifully!

{photo by Heather Hackett}

You'll need:

- baking soda

- cornstarch

- white vinegar

- light corn syrup (or simply boil one cup sugar and 1/2 cup water until clear, which is what I did)

- food coloring

Combine 3 tablespoons each of the baking soda, cornstarch and vinegar and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the corn syrup/sugar substitute. Allow the fizzing to subside and mix completely. Pour the mixture into whatever you'd like to use to hold your paints. I bought a $2 paint tray at Michaels, but you can also use a plastic egg carton. Add the food coloring to create your desired palette and leave out to harden for three hours. Make sure you add the food coloring relatively quickly; the mixture actually starts to solidify almost right away.