DIY Tutorial: Watercolor Paint

15 Jul DIY Tutorial: Watercolor Paint

Something you may not know about me is that I used to be teacher, a teacher of the Deaf.  I taught children ranging in age from pre-K to high school for a few years, and then I became a language therapist working with families of hearing impaired babies ages 0-3 in their homes.  I loved my students and families and still remember them fondly – I often sign things in my head when I am talking, it just comes naturally after awhile.  Teaching the Deaf is a very visual and expressive experience, so I think my love of color and styling really helped with that.

While I was going through some old boxes recently, I found some of my teaching materials and this paint recipe, and it inspired the theme for my Home Depot Challenge this year.  I knew my kids would really enjoy making the paint and mixing the colors.  I took advantage of this project to teach them about the color wheel, too.

This process is really easy, and all you need is probably in your pantry right now.  Here is the recipe…

I would definitely recommend mixing this in a container that has some height to it as the mixture will bubble and fizz once you add the vinegar.

But of course, that is fun.  : )

You will want to mix your colors in soon after you pour the mixture into your ice cube tray or paint palette.  The paint will dry fast!  If your mixture gets hard too quickly, you can always add a drop or two of vinegar to make it liquefy again.

It gets really fun when you start mixing colors and experimenting a little.

After you mix your paints and you have the colors you want, you can let it harden for a couple of days and use a wet paintbrush to paint later, or you can just jump right in like we did.

This is such a fun, easy project that easily takes up an afternoon!  Perfect for lazy summer days.

One more thing…

It seems fitting to take a moment and dedicate this post to a special reader and supporter of this blog who lost her battle with perineal cancer a few days ago.  She would often send me little emails about what she liked that I had written, or she would inquire about a home decor item a friend was looking for.  She handled her four month long illness with dignity, and she leaves on this earth her husband, two sons, daughter in law, grandson, and grandbaby on the way.  She gave her children and family a happy life, and though death brings sadness, we take comfort that she is in a better place, her body restored.  You will be missed, Shelley.

* Special thanks to Anna Barron for the photos of the kids and I. *