Homemade Puffy Paint Recipe With 3 Ingredients - Happy Hooligans

Jump to Project Print Project

This HOMEMADE PUFFY PAINT recipe is easy to make with just 3 ingredients: self-rising flour, salt and water. Paint your picture, put it in the microwave, and it puffs right up! Your kids will love it!

Homemade puffy paint is fun and easy to make, and it doubles as a wonderful art process for kids AND a cool science experiment. You just need a microwave and a few kitchen ingredients to make it.

You know I LOVE homemade paint recipes and easy science activities. Homemade puffy paint fits the bill perfectly!

Puffy paint is an easy and inexpensive alternative to buying storebought puffy paint for your preschoolers. It’s fun to paint and create with, and the best part is watching your artwork puff right up when you place it in the microwave!

See us making it here:

A printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this post.

Homemade Puffy Paint Ingredients:

For your conviencience, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 1 tbsp self-rising flour (see note below to make your own)
• food colouring in the colours of your choice (I used these Wilton icing gels)
• 1 tbsp salt
• little bit of water (start with 1/4 tsp per colour)

How to Make Self-Rising Flour

If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own by mixing together the following ingredients.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Combine flour and salt in a small bowl.
2. Add a bit of water and stir until you get a smooth, thin paste (about the same consistency of stirred yogurt).
3. Add your food colouring, and mix well.

Our puff paint sat for a bit while we walked to the school bus, and it thickened up again, so I just added a few drops of water to thin it back to the yogurt consistency.

Get some sturdy cardstock or thin cardboard, and some paintbrushes or q-tips, and get creating!

Magically transform it in your microwave:

Now for the science!

When you’re happy with your masterpiece, pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds and watch your painting puff up!

Your artwork will be warm when you remove it from the microwave, but it will be completely set.

Ta daaa…

Aren’t these paints remarkable?

What a fun art/science activity to do with your kids!

See our Puffy Paint Valentines here and our Puffy Paint Earth Day craft here!

Print Project Pin Project Rate this Project 5 from 3 votes

3-Ingredient Homemade Puffy Paint

Make Homemade Puffy Paint with 3 kitchen ingredients. You put it in the microwave and it puffs right up! Keyword: Homemade Puffy Paint Author: Jackie Currie

Supplies

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• Combine flour and salt in a small bowl.
• Add a bit of water and stir until you get a smooth, thin paste (about the same consistency of stirred yogurt).
• Add food colouring, and mix well.
• Put painting into microwave for 30 seconds and watch it puff up!
• Allow to cool before handling.

Tried this guide?Mention @happyhooligansblog or tag #happyhooligansblog!

More cool art ideas for kids

Starry Night with Melted Crayons

Wax Resist Art

Salt, Glue and Watercolour Art

Sharpies and Rubbing Alcohol Art

Marbleized Shaving Cream Art

Puffy Finger Paint with Shaving Cream and Glue – Skip to my Lou

Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!

25+preschool activities, 10 printables, 50 links to activities not featured in the book all for $8.99 until Download your copy today:

SUBSCRIBE

for FREE crafts,

activities & recipes!

Your kids will never be bored again! Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.