Microwave Puffy Paint

 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!

(E was 27 months old.)



 

You’ll need:

  • Flour.
  • Salt.
  • Baking powder.
  • Water.
  • Paint or food coloring.
  • Paper.
  • Paintbrush (optional).

 



How to make Microwave Puffy Paint:

Combine flour with salt and baking powder and add enough water to make a paste.

{There are different recipes out there, we went with equal parts flour and salt plus 2 tablespoons of baking powder which worked fine but check my remarks under “What I learned” below for what’s probably a better way. }

Add food coloring or paint {we used our trusty red tempera – we did this on Valentine’s day, after all 😉 } to taste.

 



How it worked for us:

Since it was Valentine’s Day, I cut out some hearts for E to paint on.

She mixed the paint herself

 

A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!

 

then dug right in with her paintbrush.

 

A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
She started small
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
but became more expansive quickly {and got the paper slightly stuck to her paintbrush a few times}.
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
She had me paint one heart, and I covered it completely because I was curious how it would turn out in the microwave.

Our finished products, still wet – at least I thought we were finished…

 

A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
But E wasn’t finished exploring the paint yet.
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
However, she didn’t seem to enjoy how it felt on her hands {must’ve been all that salt}, and wiped it right off again.
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
We microwaved each heart for around 15-30 seconds. The one I’d completely covered with paint took a bit longer.

E really enjoyed the popping sounds coming from the microwave that had me slightly worried – apparently, the edge of this old plate my mom randomly left at my house doesn’t only have a gold look but actually has some metal in it o.O

Thankfully, nothing bad happened.

Here’s how the hearts looked when they were dry:

 

A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!
 
 
Close-up:
 
 
A very different kind of paint that puffs up in the microwave - must-try with your toddler!

 



What I learned:

  • We could have cut way down on the salt. It would’ve been plenty if we’d added only about as much salt as baking powder, so about 2 tablespoons to a cup of flour. That also happens to be the recipe that Mummy Musings and Mayhem, where I first saw this, used (see link below). I think it would’ve helped the paintbrush glide over the paper more smoothly.
  • If you handle the paintings too much, some of the paint can flake off or get pushed in.
  • E’s shirt came clean again in the washing machine – I really do love tempera 😉



 

Additional suggestions:

  • Do this with different colors for other holiday crafts or just for fun.
  • Fill a baggie with your paint, cut off a corner and pipe the paint on your paper for maximum puffiness.
  • If you want to skip the microwave or just want to try a different type of puffy paint to compare, check out our article on Shaving Cream Puffy Paint.



Inspiration: Mummy Musings and Mayhem.



 

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