Have Thing 1 and Thing 2 . . .
Invaded your house, drawn mustaches on all your family portraits and released the goldfish into the commode? Oh no, that was your KIDS? It sounds to me like they could use a little distraction on this rainy/excessively sunny/busy/whatever day before they try to decoupage your drivers license. No fear, mama, I have the answer!
Homemade play dough is cheap, easy to make and oh-so-fun! Help your kids whip up a batch and then sneak away with a cup of tea. You may find them so preoccupied that you get to go to the bathroom by yourself!
How To Make Natural Dyes With Stuff From Your Fridge
There is A LOT of wiggle room for this part, so have fun and experiment! To get started making your own play dough dye, just put veggies/fruits in a pot of filtered water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-40 minutes depending on how intense you want the color to be. For spices, just warm the water up and mix until dissolved. Here are some color ideas I grabbed from my post on naturally dyed Easter eggs.
Pink
I used: 2 cups water +1 cup shredded beets for the intense pink
3 cups water, 1 cup tightly packed purple cabbage simmered for 20 minutes for the light pink
Other possibilities: cranberries/ cranberry juice, raspberries, strawberries, red grape juice or beet kvass
Yellow
I used: 2 cups water + 1 cup packed onion skins
Other possibilities: grapefruit, orange or lemon peels, carrots, chamomile tea, celery seed, green tea, saffron
Yellow/Orange
I used: 1 cup water + 3/4 tsp turmeric for the bright yellow
1 cup water + 1 ½ cups shredded carrots for the orange
Other possibilities: carrots and paprika
Blue
3 cups water + 1 cup tightly packed purple cabbage + baking soda*
Other possibilities: blueberries
* To make the cabbage water blue rather than purple, simply add small amounts of baking soda until you get a color you like!
Green
I used: 1/2 cup of spinach + 1 ½ cups of water.
Other possibilities: kale, asparagus
Purple
Elderberry, dried or fresh!
I haven’t tested this, but I think blackberries would work. You could also try mixing red and blue.
How To Make Homemade Play Dough
Basic Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of naturally colored water (see above) OR 1 cup water and natural food coloring
- Optional: a few drops of essential oils for fragrance. Citrus oils like orange, lemon and lime are good choices that are safe for small children.
Instructions:
- Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a medium-sized pot
- Add oil and colored water and stir until ingredients are well blended.
- Place pot on the stove over low/medium heat. Cook the dough – stirring often – until begins to pull away from the sides of the pot (about 3-5 minutes)
- Allow the dough to cool a little and then knead for a minute or so.
- Store in an airtight container
Gluten-Free Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of naturally colored water (see above) OR 1 cup water and natural food coloring
Instructions:
- Mix flour, cornstarch/arrowroot, salt and cream of tartar in a medium-sized pot
- Add oil and colored water and stir until ingredients are well blended.
- Place pot on the stove over low/medium heat. Cook the dough – stirring often – until begins to pull away from the sides of the pot (about 3-5 minutes)
- Allow the dough to cool a little and then knead for a minute or so.
- Store in an airtight container
about the author: Heather
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25 Responses to Homemade Play Dough Recipe With Natural Dyes (Plus A Gluten-Free Option!)
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What are the chances tapioca flour/starch would work in place of the cornstarch? I have not used it much but have a larger quantity of it than arrowroot and am not having corn in my home at this time.
Hi Cathy! I haven’t tested it with tapioca so I can’t really say. None of the recipes I references while researching options mentioned it so I’m guessing it may not work well. If you try and have success, though, please let us know!
tapioca flour/starch or arrowroot would totally work…
How long would this last in an airtight container?
Hi Jenny! It will last for many, MANY months! Exactly how long depends on how airtight the container is
Do you have a recipe for this. I found one with xanthum gum, which I don’t have and even the tapioca powder is donated to me.
My daughter is finally getting interested in play dough, which is great since she got some homemade stuff for Christmas! I can’t wait to try some of your colors when her stuff dries up….
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen´s last [type] ..Bittersweet Gorp Bark
I made pink (cranberry) and purple (blueberry) play dough this afternoon. The dyes were really easy to make and the texture was silky and pleasant. Best of all, I didn’t have to worry when my 9 month old tried to eat her big brother’s play dough. Thank you!
Jenn B´s last [type] ..Decluttering Days
Ha, I can relate! My two year old likes to lick it
Speaking of which… any ideas for a grain free, GAPS friendly play dough?
These recipes look gorgeous and I love the colors you made!!
Have you tried using these dye’s in foods? I am curious how they would would work in some kind of frosting.
I have been wanting to find a recipe for natural play dough since my son put some playdough in his mouth while he was at his cousins! he is out of the putting in thr mouth stage but i guess they looked like food to him. Now i can supply himwith fun without worrying about much! I was so excited to see this!!! I can not wait to make it.
[...] Homemade Play Dough Recipe With Natural Dyes (Plus A Gluten-Free Option!) by Mommypotamus – gluten free Play Dough is expensive and this turned out so pretty! [...]
Thank you for sharing! I might be able to use this as a DIY kid’s activity for my daughter’s upcoming b-day party next month.
Do the dyes rub off on the hands easily?
Hi Elise! The ones I used haven’t!
[...] Homemade play dough – Love this! [...]
In my experimentation, tapioca starch gives it a “glacky” sticky consistency. It was fun to slap around a bit, but no way similar to playdough..
I LOVE to make playdough esp when it is colored with natural pigments. I wonder do you find that the tumeric stains? I have wanted to try it but haven’t b/c I am worried about sending kids home from preschool with yellowy hands… The colors you made are just lovely and the GF option is great, I must try it!
Angela@mamarosemary.com´s last [type] ..Natural Living Monday
Hi Angela! I haven’t noticed any issues with staining from the turmeric and my kids play with our dough 1-2x’s a week
[...] Homemade play clay hidden in an Easter egg. [...]
I love you!
[...] The next meeting will be Friday morning, April 19th, at 9:30. We will be exploring with the child as we get our hands into some play dough. The recipe link: http://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-play-dough-recipe-with-natural-dyes-and-a-gluten-free-option/ [...]
[...] any good, Pinterest-addicted parent, I pinned this natural dye play dough recipe with every intention of making it. The idea fitted so nicely in my vision of a picture perfect [...]
[...] Homemade Play Dough Recipe With Natural Dyes (Plus A Gluten-Free Option!) | The Mommypotamus | organ… [...]