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November 21, 2005
Face (and Pregnant Mama Tummy) Paint!
by flowermama
If you are pregnant, when your tummy is nice and big it can be a great bonding experience to let your older kids paint the outside of their wee sibling's home (your tummy ;)).
I had heard this idea before, and it sounded like fun, so when I was pregnant last year I decided to ask my kids if they'd like to paint my tummy. They said yes they would, and that they'd also like to be painted, too (on their faces!), so I looked on the internet to find a safe, inexpensive recipe for face or body paint. Here is the one I found that seemed like it would best meet our needs. I've also included the ways in which I changed it.
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Basic Recipe for Body Paint
1 Tbsp. cold cream -- we used cocoa butter face cream because it was really inexpensive!
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
food coloring
1. Mix cream, cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), and water until smooth.
2. Add food colouring, one drop at a time desired color is achieved.
We mixed our's in a plastic ice cube tray. Each little section was just the right size to hold each color neatly.
To remove the paint from your skin, wash off with warm water. After washing off the paint with water, we found that using extra cream helps take off paint left on the skin.
Please note: Some of the paint might color your skin slightly, especially perhaps if left on a long time, so test first if that is a concern to you, but I think the cream should get it off pretty well. Also, I recommend wearing clothes that you don't mind accidentally getting paint on. Also, a painting smock (we bought one for a $1 at Michael's) can help protect your children's clothing. It might wash off, but I didn't try it to see, so please use appropriate cautions.
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Whether painting tummy or face, relax and let your imaginations flow and have FUN! Be sure to have a camera and take some pictures!
Here are some pictures of a pregnant tummy and three kids' face painted with the paint recipe I posted above.
My tummy in Sept. 04 after being painted by my children! {baby was born in October 04) |
DD (age 8) as a butterfy |
DD (painted another day!) with flowers on her face |
DS (age 5) as a tiger |
DS as a tiger again. Grrrrrr! |
2nd DD (age 3) as a clown |
2nd DD with a flower on her face |
If you'd like to buy already made (water-based) paint along with a book of instructions about face painting, check out Face Painting by Klutz. Klutz also offers a book with non-toxic, washable body crayons and instructions on body art called The Body Crayon Book. Another book with instructions and helpful pictures about face painting is The Usborne Book of Face Painting.
Posted by flowermama at 10:34 AM | Comments (2)