Homemade Finger Paint Recipe

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food based finger paint recipe
Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Home » Homemade Finger Paint Recipe

Rainy days, long afternoons…  sometimes we mamas need a trusty list of fun kids’ activities! A homemade finger paint recipe deserves to make the list. This version can be as simple as two ingredients.

Even better, it’s totally edible and non-toxic if they just happen to eat some!

Why Homemade Finger Paint?

I usually opt for homemade when I feel the need to be crafty (or I want to avoid a chemical-filled version). This is one reason I also make DIY beeswax candles instead of buying artificial fragrance filled ones.

Store-bought finger paint ingredients are proprietary, meaning they don’t have to disclose everything that’s in it. Yes, they’re labeled non-toxic, but that’s not quite the same as natural and edible. This homemade finger paint recipe is made with real food ingredients so if little ones decide to taste a finger full, no harm done!

How to Make Easy DIY Finger Paint

A lot of DIY finger paint recipes call for cooking flour or cornstarch with water, and often call for cooking. Flour can cause issues for those with gluten allergies and corn starch is usually GMO.

Instead, this recipe uses two simple ingredients: yogurt and edible food coloring. It’s always a bonus when there’s one less thing I have to cook!

There are several ways to color your finger paint naturally, based on what you have.

food based finger paint recipe

Natural Finger Paint Recipe

A simple, colorful, natural, totally edible finger paint!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Author Katie Wells

Servings

1

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If using the premade liquid food coloring, add the coloring to the yogurt until you have the desired consistency. Thick Greek yogurt works best, but since we’re not adding a lot of liquid, it’s fine to use regular or unstrained yogurt for this option.
  • If using a dried powder, mix 1 tablespoon of powder with 1-2 tablespoons boiling water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Stir the water/powder mixture into ½ cup of yogurt. (For spirulina you’ll only need to use 1-2 teaspoons of powder.)
  • If using berries, beets, or fresh spinach, use the directions below.

Green Finger Paint (From Spinach)

  • Combine ½ cup tightly packed spinach and ¼ cup water in a blender. You can cut this recipe in half if your blender is smaller, but mine wouldn’t blend with any less than this. Blend until smooth.
  • Use about 3 tablespoons of the spinach water to color ½ cup of yogurt.

Purple or Pink Finger Paint (From Berries)

  • Cook ½ cup of berries over medium low heat, stirring constantly and mashing. I used frozen berries. You may need to add a few tablespoons water to prevent them from burning, but you don’t want excess liquid. Cook just until mushy and the color is released, about 3 minutes.
  • Strain the berries through a fine mesh sieve.
  • Add the resulting liquid to ½ cup yogurt.

Pink Finger Paint (From Beets)

  • Combine ½ cup roasted beet with ¼ cup of water in the blender. Blend until smooth, then strain.
  • You can also use the liquid from canned beets.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of the beet juice to ½ cup of yogurt.

Notes

  • If dairy-free, use strained coconut milk yogurt or a gelatin-based recipe.
  • I have not given an option for yellow finger paint, simply because it’s usually made from turmeric which stains. I have used store-bought natural food dye (linked in recipe) and find the yellow can slightly stain some white dishes and clothing, but washes off of hands. Use of a smock recommended!

How Long Does Homemade Finger Paint Last?

It depends on the ingredients used, but this finger paint recipe can last 1-4 weeks in the fridge. If you use fresh yogurt and the premade food coloring it should last several weeks. The homemade food coloring and yogurt will last closer to several days to one week.

I would get a little out at a time for kids to use and store the rest in the fridge as needed for later. Hands and fingers dipped in the yogurt mixture will introduce bacteria that cause it to spoil faster.

Which edible food colors are you going to try? 

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

4 responses to “Homemade Finger Paint Recipe”

  1. Becca Avatar

    How long can we keep the artwork made with this before having to throw it away??
    Thanks!

    1. Katie Wells Avatar

      This is definitely temporary art! I usually snap pictures of any masterpieces and make a digital book at the end of the year

  2. Tanya Avatar

    Do you just pitch the picture after a few days since you can’t keep the art for an extended time?

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