The first idea I've found is for DIY Side-Walk Chalk Paint. I love this idea, and who cares how messy it is? I'll strip the kids down to their bathing suits and diapers and let them go to town!
To make your own homemade sidewalk chalk paint, you will need: 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, and 4-5 drops of food coloring. Be sure to add the cornstarch and THEN the water so it mixes up a little easier. Emily really enjoyed making this paint!
The next fabulous idea is for DIY Rock Candy! What!? I am probably one of Rock Candy's biggest fans! Who doesn't love straight sugar on a stick? This is another one of my plans for Jamyn's 1st birthday. I think they would make adorable party favors, and I figure we can do a practice run now, and then the kids can help me make them again in January for the party, (don't hate on me for planning half a year in advance, ok?)
Here are the instructions if you'd like to try it yourself.
Ingredients & Supplies: Wooden skewers (cut in half) water, sugar, clothespins and glass jars/drinking glasses. The amount of water and sugar you need depends on how many pieces of rock candy you would like to make and the number of jars you have available (no more than 2 pieces per jar is recommended.) The standard ratio is 2 1/2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. 
To make our batch of rock candy, start with 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar. Put it all into a large saucepan, because once you put it on the stove it will expand while boiling. Once your pot is on the stove, bring it to a low boil over medium heat, and continue to add sugar one cup at a time until you can no longer dissolve any more of it (making a completely saturated sugar solution).
Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
To make our batch of rock candy, start with 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar. Put it all into a large saucepan, because once you put it on the stove it will expand while boiling. Once your pot is on the stove, bring it to a low boil over medium heat, and continue to add sugar one cup at a time until you can no longer dissolve any more of it (making a completely saturated sugar solution).Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
While your sugar is cooling you can prep your sticks. Soak them in water and roll them in a coating of sugar to give the new sugar crystals something to "seed" to. Be sure to let them dry all the way! If they are still too wet when you put them into the hot sugar solution, all of the sugar coating will fall off, and the new crystals will have nothing to grow on.
CAREFULLY pour your sugar solution into your glass jars. If you'd like to add food coloring or flavoring to your rock candy, now is the time to do so.
CAREFULLY pour your sugar solution into your glass jars. If you'd like to add food coloring or flavoring to your rock candy, now is the time to do so.
Set them up in a warm, sunny location where they won't be disturbed, and wait...
After about a week you will have made yourself a batch of sparkling sugar rock candy!
After about a week you will have made yourself a batch of sparkling sugar rock candy!
No comments:
Post a Comment