Non-Edibles (playdough/sidewalk chalk/etc)

[Kim2005]

Post your recipes here.

[Kim2005]

This is a homemade recipe for giving your house that great Christmas smell even when you aren't baking. I used to do this all the time until I found The Scent of Christmas candles.

4 Cinnamon sticks
1/2 of an Orange (halved)
1/2 of a Lemon (halved)
1/2 cup of Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
About a quart of water

1) Combine all ingredients in a tea kettle, pan or crock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for as long as you wish but be sure you keep an eye on the water level while it's simmering and add more water as needed.

[Kim2005]

3 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups table salt
3/4 to 1 cup water

in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and water until well combined. the dough will feel stiff and slightly dry. knead the dough for several minutes if crumbly - add water. for children, the dough should be drier since it becames soft in their hands.

wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest 1 hr (do not refrigerate)

make and shape ornaments... poke a hole in the ornament for hanging with a wooded toothpick before baking

bake in a 250 oven for 1-2 hrs - depend ing on the thickness

alternately ornaments can be air-dried, though this will take several days or weeks and the humidity of the room.

paint if desired. when the paint is dry, coat with varnish. two coats of thick varnisk will give the ornament a high gloss and protect it against humidity and damage

equipment suggestions: ungreased cookie sheet, rolling pin, cookie cutters, garlic press, toothpicks, decorative slotted spoons, water colors or poster paints, paint brushes, varnish, crazy glue

for little kids: shape the letters HO HO HO, or JOY or NOEL, candles or candy canes are also easy

[Kim2005]

Plastic or Rubbermaid Container (about 3.2 QT)

1 roll of Bounty Rinse & Reuse Paper Towels

2 T Baby Bath

1 T Baby Oil

2 C Water


Directions:


Cut the roll of paper towels in half with a very sharp knife. In your plastic container, mix the ingredients well. Add ½ roll of paper towels. Place the lid on the container and let it set for about 10 minutes. Then flip the container over for another 10-15 minutes. It might not even take you this long, if you keep your eye on it. You want to make sure that the ingredients have soaked through all of the paper towels. When all of the ingredients have absorbed, open the container and stand the paper towels on end with the jagged side that was cut down. Pull the brown paper out of the middle, so that you can pull the wipes through the center. Then you just pull the wipes as needed. They tear apart very easily and make diaper changing simple.


Homemade baby wipes will be very gentle on your baby’s bottom, and you can take comfort in the fact that there’s nothing in them that you haven’t put there! They will also save you time and money.


This recipe can be adapted for several household uses. Exclude the baby bath and baby oil to include about ¼ cup of your multi-purpose cleaner for quick wipe-ups. Exclude the baby bath and increase the baby oil to your own desired amount for after-bath body wipes to decrease baby oil on the floor of your shower or tub. Add some Armor All for quick car clean-ups. The possibilities for homemade wipes are limitless and efficient.


Sidenotes:
by happymom: delete baby oil
I leave out the baby oil. Just use baby bath and water. it works great. The reason i leave it out is due to the fact that children can die if the inhale baby oil. So I don't keep it in my home. I don't want my ds to get into it and breath any of it in.





SandKsmama:
You know what I did?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, maybe this was weird, but I didn't have any baby oil, can't use the stuff due to sensitivities:-)...I used extra virgin olive oil instead. Even weirder? It turned out fabulous!

Thanks Happymom though for the baby oil warning, I hadn't heard that(I guess maybe b/c I don't use it?)

[Kim2005]

and my quickie microwave version. .

first buy some smooth stones from the craft store. they MUST be smooth. assorted shapes about 1-2 inches.

microwave: put stones in microwavable bowl. heat for 2 minutes or so. you want them very warm but not so hot they burn. when done, pour massage oil over them and enjoy. . i think terri said she uses little pebbles between the toes, ahem, and moves her way up. .

crockpot: put stones in crockpot and pour an inch of water overtop. i'm not sure how long she *cooks* them but til they are very warm (maybe an hour?). the water keeps them all warm so the advantage is when one gets cold, you can start using another. frankly, we never got that far that we needed another rock. LOL. with the crockpot version you pour some massage oil in your hand after taking the rock out of the crockpot.

now i'll embarrass myself a little further with one last suggestion. the craft store had various fountains with smooth rocks in them. that's what i bought and keep in our bedroom. the water running is great mood enhancement and the rocks are there as needed. just keep your microwave handy. smiles.

have fun!

[Kim2005]

This recipe comes from Homespun Gifts from the Heart (http://p078.ezboard.com/fheartsboardfrm2.showMessage?topicID=165.topic).

Kool-Aid® Playdough
1 cup white flour
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 package Kool-Aid®

Mix ingredients in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Soon a ball will form in the center. Knead on a floured surface. Store in a baggy.

[Kim2005]

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
6-8 drops food coloring

1. Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small plastic bowl.

2. Add food coloring and stir;

3. Repeat this process to create different colors of sidewalk paint.

When done you can wash it away with the hose.

Use sidewalk paint for painting large areas...like hopscotch grids, make believe roads and highways, etc.

Taken from: The Ultimate Book of Kids Connoctions

[Kim2005]

2 1/2 qts. water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup liquid dish detergent

1. Mix water and corn syrup together until completely blended.

2. Gently stir in the liquid dish detergent

3. Bubbles will store for several weeks in an airtight container.

Tips: Add a little color to your bubbles by stirring in a few drops of food coloring.

Taken from: The Ultimate Book of Kids Concoctions

[Kim2005]

1/4 cup liquid baby bath
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2-3 drops of food coloring
Plastic ice cube tray

1. Mix liquid baby bath and cornstarch together until blended.

2. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring.

3. Pour the mixture into a plastic ice cube tray and paint.

Tips: use a paint brush to paint your body and the side of the tub. Makes great finger paint when used on wax paper.

Taken from: The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions

[Kim2005]

This recipe makes those soap crayons that children can use to "color" themselves w/. It might make a nice rainy day project. It makes a nice gift for little ones too (& nifty stocking stuffers).

1/8C water

7/8C Ivory Snow Flakes

30 drops Food Coloring

Mix together water & Ivory until fairly stiff. Add the food coloring & mix by hand until evenly colored. Shape crayons by pressing mixture into ice cube trays, cut w/ cookie cutters, roll into small logs, or any other way your mind can think of. Allow the mixture to dry for two days undisturbed b/4 using.

[Kim2005]

here's a recipe..
it's also called Glob, Flubber or Gak

4 oz white school glue (elmers blue and orange label)
1 cup water
liquid food coloring
1 tsp. borax

pour the glue and 1/2 cup water in a bowl. mix. add a few drops of food coloring. put remaining 1/2 cup water into another bowl. add 1 tsp. borax and mix well. pour the 2 mixtures together and stir. you should have a thick mass in a liquid. when the glob has formed into once chunk (this step may take a while) pour off extra liquid. this should be used on a clean surface by clean hands as it does tend to break down. store in an airtight containor. do not eat. sticks to hair and carpet fibers.

[Kim2005]

Magnificent Bubble Stuff Recipe
Mix together 6 parts water, 2 parts dishwashing liquid (recommended: Joy for its ecologically safe ingredients) and 3/4 part light corn syrup. Mix. Store in a covered container.

[StillJulie]

Simple Sugar Scrub

This a simple to make and easy to use sugar scrub. You may have seen simmilar versions selling in chain stores that are expensive. However, this is simple to make and easy to make variations of. Its good for exfoliating any part of your body and seems to work well on my sensitive skin. It makes my skin soft without having to spend a lot which is important when you are a broke student! I hope you enjoy! This originally callled for one cup olive oil, but i have since changed it to 1/2 cup to reflect the reccomendations of others.

1 Jar 5 min 5 min prep
Change to: Jar US Metric
1 clear plastic jar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice (optional)
scented essential oils (optional)


< 15 mins
Bath/Beauty
mix the sugar and olive oil in the plastic container. I do not recomend using a glass jar for this, since you will most likely have this in your bathroom.
add any optional scents you like. I have discovered that adding peppermint oil or orange oil helps refresh you, while lavender is more soothing. My favorite oil to use is sandlewood.
to use: place some on a wash cloth and rub in circles anywhere you need exfoliation. After letting it sit for awhile the sugar may settle to the bottom, so it may be necessary to shake this up a little before using.

[BCatherine]

Homemade Play Dough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 Teaspoons cream of tartar
1 Tablespoon baby oil
1 cup water with food coloring added to it

Mix the dry ingredients in a pot, then add the oil and water/coloring and cook on medium-high heat while stirring for about 3 min. or until it starts getting thick.

Put on a cutting board and let it cool, then knead it a little until it's smooth.

(You can use other oil, but baby oil doesn't go rancid like cooking oils do, so I use baby oil.)

I wash and recycle plastic containers (like sour cream, etc.) to store it in.

We like to make one batch per color.

:) :)