Healthy and Green Living

Ever see a child use finger paints and not put their colorful, gooey fingers
in their mouths? Protect their health and let them have fun using this
homemade finger paint recipe that is free of synthetic dyes and pigments.

• 1 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/3 cup soap flakes melted with 1/2 cup boiling water
• juice dyes (see below)

Make your own soap flakes by grating a bar of homemade hand soap
(available in your health food store) until you have 1/3 of a cup of soap
flakes.

Combine the cornstarch, water, and melted soap in a bowl. Stir to blend. Let
the mixture set until it has become thick. Divide into separate bowls and
stir in juice dyes for color.

How to Make Juice Dyes

• One or more of the following: frozen berries, canned beets, or 1/2 cup plant
  material (blueberries, beets, walnut hulls, cranberries, tea).
• Water as needed.
• Use the juice straight from thawed berries, or juice drained from canned
  beets. Mix colors for hue variations. If using fresh berries, fruit, walnut
  hulls, or tea, combine the plant material with 1 cup of water in a pan and
  simmer over low heat for 1/2 hour or so, adding more water as it evaporates.