I like to consider myself a "frugal" person. Things that are homemade with just a few ingredients I already have on hand really spark my interest. So when I come across things like homemade finger paint for example, I get pretty exited! The main ingredients are salt, flour, water and a squirt of food coloring. Simple enough, even I couldn't screw this up, righ? Wrong, of course I can find a way to screw this up!
So to start I should have taken pictures to document, truth be told I didn't think about writing my failed attempt at making finger paint during that time. But thinking of my blog and the half a dozen failed attempts at being frugal and homemade, I've failed quite a few of them. So forgive my lack of pictures for this one.
So after reading how "simple" this was I ran to my kitchen to grab what was needed. Flour, salt, food coloring and some mustard and ketchup bottles I picked up at Wal-mart for .75, knowing I'd have a use for then eventually. Plus with two boys who have a bottle obsession in the bath tub. Anyhow, I decided to allow Nicholas to help me with this project, after all it was for him. I gave him the job of opening the packages on the bottles, which he did it about 5 seconds. Yet another fail, I hoped he would keep busy for at least 3 minutes while I set up the table. I then realized I didn't have enough salt, why do I use so much salt? This is just a heart attack waiting to happen! I also figured a whole cup of flour, salt and water was not going to fit into a how ever many ounces this bottle is (not labeled, what else is new). So I cut them all in half, a 1/2 cup instead of a whole cup. To my surprise it all fit, yay! I also need to note on how incredibly hard it was getting the flour into the bottle! I though a funnel would be the way to go, nope. Flour was not going to budge! So I poured it in and added a little extra since I pretty much dumped most of it on the table! Then added the water. Shake shake shake.....It doesn't sound like liquid anymore.....Add more water! Shake shake shake. All while it's pretty much shaking out of the lid and going God knows where all over my home. Yes I covered the end, but it's got a pretty crappy seal. Now understanding why they were so cheap!
Take a look at the contents....Seems legit....Add food coloring.....CAREFULLY shake this time haha! At this point it was mostly pancake batter thick, so nothing spewed out of the bottle, thank goodness! Super proud of myself I decide to give my homemade finger paint a try, on paper. Not eat, I'm not that gross! Squeeze.....Nothing....Shake, squeeze, nothing....Oh you've got to be kidding me.....Squeeze harder! SPLAT! There we go! Oh such a pretty blue, I may have over did it on the food coloring. Okay this stuff is pretty cool, I thought. Until another clog, shake, squirt, clog. Oh come on, really!!!
During this time my two year old is into the flour! Having way more fun with that than he would any kind of homemade finger paint! Then I realize he's also got his hands on a bottle of food coloring, oh crap! I was able to rescue that from the two year old death grip, and then lose all hearing for an hour from the glass shattering scream he let out! Flour easy to clean, neon blue food coloring? I can't imagine if would ever come out of the carpet! And at this rate I should be deaf anyhow!
Okay, so basically what I ended up with was a runny, salty mess! I wasted all my salt, hopefully a popcorn desire doesn't strike any time before I can head to the store, and you and I both know I'll forget it every time I go to the store for he next few weeks. I think the lesson learned is to not mix it IN the bottle intended for squirting. Next time (if there so be a next :) I'll be mixing in a bowl, with a wisk, and into the bottle!
I have a great laugh reading failed attempt blogs at Pinterest crafts. So when I had a major fail I had to blog it!
Love, Melissa <3
