Homemade: beeswax crayons and playdough?

[Epona]

Tried and true recipes? Thanks!

[CParker]

This is from "First Art" by Maryann Kohl. Great book!

Playclay
5 cups water
2 1/2 cups salt
3 tbsp cream of tartar
10 tbsp oil
5 cups all-purpose flour

Combine first 3 ingredients (along with food coloring, if you want it) in a large pot and heat until warm. Add oil and flour and stir until mixture pulls together. Pinch some between your fingers--if its not sticky its done. Dump dough onto counter and knead until smooth.

This makes a lot of dough, but it seems to last quite awhile in an airtight container.

[nathansmum]

I like the no-cook playdough methods.

I have made both gluten free playdough and regular flour playdough.

Here is the GF one:

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup boiling water
Add to the water: 1 teaspoon cooking oil, a few drops of food colouring

Mix all dry ingredients together, add boiling water with added ingredients and stir until it blends into a ball (about 5mins of stirring). Put onto a bench sprinkled with rice flour and knead till no longer sticky. Add extra corn flour and rice flour till you get doughy yet not sticky dough (usually an extra 1/2 cup of rice flour and 1/2 cup of corn flour are required for this process).

[AngelBee]

:

[Epona]

Excellent! Thank you!

Now about the crayons..
Honestly, I'm just wondering what is used for color. Does anyone know?

[Savoir Faire]

I found this recipe linked from the AWESOME filth wizardry blog.

It's just 2 cups of water, 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar, a squidge of food colouring and a cup of salt heated together in a pan until the salt is as disolved as it's going to get, then put in 4 tablespoons of oil (I used veg oil) and then 2 cups of plain/all purpose flour. Stir it up until it gloops into a ball that doesn't stick to the sides of the pan, then turn it out and knead it with a little more flour until it's cool enough for the kids to play with. Store in an airtight container like you would with any other playdough.

DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Trust me on this one...it just isn't the same. This playdough is awesome. I put in all kinds of flavoring and it smelled GREAT.

[skueppers]

I use this recipe:

* 1 cup water, less however much food coloring you use
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup salt
* 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
* Food coloring (2 tablespoons of McCormick food coloring makes a dark, saturated color)
* 1 cup flour, sifted

Directions

1. Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until bubbling at the edges but not boiling.
2. Remove from heat and stir in flour.
3. Knead until smooth. I use a stand mixer.
4. If dough is a little too dry, knead in additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's a little too wet, let it sit out for a few hours and then knead again.

Store in an airtight container.

[Epona]

Thank you!

[ohiomommy1122]

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[townmouse]

Originally Posted by nathansmum

I like the no-cook playdough methods.

I have made both gluten free playdough and regular flour playdough.

Here is the GF one:

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup boiling water
Add to the water: 1 teaspoon cooking oil, a few drops of food colouring

Mix all dry ingredients together, add boiling water with added ingredients and stir until it blends into a ball (about 5mins of stirring). Put onto a bench sprinkled with rice flour and knead till no longer sticky. Add extra corn flour and rice flour till you get doughy yet not sticky dough (usually an extra 1/2 cup of rice flour and 1/2 cup of corn flour are required for this process).

Thank you so much for this! :