Today we stayed home sick. Lila had a high fever, but no other symptoms, so we just laid low.
She chose herself a nice sick day outfit of some leggings she outgrew six months ago and some mismatched socks, the partners of which she wore as “hand gloves” (is there any other kind?) – to ward of the chills, probably.
There was some of this going on today:
But we also made play dough:
I found a recipe on flickr several years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. We make it all the time at home, and we’ve used it for gifts and party favors, too. It’s the same recipe you see pop up everywhere, but I’ll post it here just in case anyone’s interested.
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 T cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 T vegetable oil
You mix everything together in a saucepan and cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it all congeals. Then knead the dough on a piece of waxed paper and separate it into as many balls as colors you want.
I usually halve the recipe if it’s just for us, but I made a full batch this time so we can give some to Lila’s cousin for his birthday this week. Mixing the colors is the best part, so I separated the dough into 12 pieces and made the whole rainbow.
You can get super vibrant colors if you use gel food coloring. I bought a box of Wilton gel icing colors forever ago with a 40% off coupon at Joanns. It’s a lifetime supply.
Before the color goes in, you can add a few drops of scented oil to each ball (or you can add it at the cooking stage). We made some grapefuit, some anise, and some lavender. They smell pretty.
I use a toothpick to add a little gel to each piece until it’s the color I want. Be warned, though – a few of the colors will try to elude you. No matter how much black you add, the dough just keeps on looking green – it takes hours (sometimes overnight, even) before the color develops. It’s the same way with purple and red. But be patient. Good things (like black play dough, for example) come to those who wait.
Now, if you’re serious about the sport of play dough (as I think I’ve proven myself to be), you can head over to your local Bi-Mart and source out one of these little stacking compartment thingies to hold all your goods. It’s got three separate layers – I used one for the rolling pins and tools, one for the dough, and one for the shape cutters. They all stack together and snap shut.
No doubt about it, I love me some organized anything.
Now I have to figure something out for sick day #2….
This is by far the COOLEST playdoh I’v seen. I keep wondering how to get those bright colours, much nicer than using regular food dye. That is some playdoh kit, thanks for the inspiration!!
It’s so pretty! I’ve been thinking about making some for Kate but she still likes to put things in her mouth so it may not be the best idea. Soon.
Thank you! Soon for sure – I think Lila got into it around 16 or 17 months. And luckily it doesn’t matter too much if they take a little taste!
Oh my god. Thank goodness I can offer my kids the Museum of Natural History and unlimited subway rides and about fifty different parks in walking distance, because I cannot offer them such an amazing play dough setup!
When you inevitably open an Etsy shop, I will buy you out. Actually, maybe I’ll just leave the boys with Sam and see if you and Nate will adopt me. Does Lila want a (much) older sister?
I’m think I’m going to need a nanny before I open an etsy shop 🙂 But we’d love to have you all over for a play dough date sometime! And we’re talking about coming out there next year, so maybe we can all ride the subway together?
Oh please come out here next year! We’d love to see you guys and meet Lila (finally!) and ride the subway together. It’s more likely that you’ll be here than we’ll be there. I think I’m going to wait until they are at least two years old before I try flying with them, even with another adult. I can barely manage going to the grocery store with both of them now!
ooo, ooo, love the organizing box, I must do that! love the playdough, such a fun project. 🙂
Wow what amazing colors! I have used this same recipe with great success, but I have never achieved those great colors with the regular grocery store food coloring. I am going to have to get some of that food coloring, and the addition of the scents sounds even more wonderful. It is ironic that I saw this post because I was just thinking the other day that I needed to make my youngest daughter (16 months) her first batch of homemade Playdoh. Thanks for sharing this and I hope that your daughter feels better soon.
i think that’s the age we started with play dough, too – finally out of the stage where everything goes in their mouths! have fun, and thanks for stopping by!
Just found your blog via Anna over at Noodlehead. Always fun to find a “local” who loves sewing and crafting!
MUST TRY ASAP. thanks!! get well soon, lila, and keep rockin’ those awesome outfits! 🙂
oh, she will. i can bet you that next time we get together she’ll be wearing two different shoes…
I’ve been meaning to make some playdough ever since I first saw your playdough photos on flickr. Love the stacking bins; where did you get the neat wooden rollers, etc? Hope little one feels better soon!
Thanks Wendy! This is the set we have:
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/roll-in-the-dough-kit
We got it on clearance at Land of Nod last year and I don’t see it on the website anymore, but I think Melissa and Doug makes something similar.
i just bought the wilton colors recently but haven’t thought to try it in playdough, that is also a great organizing system.
Love those playdough colours! I just found your blog through Noodlehead today and am completely enraptured by your creations. Each lovingly handcrafted piece is so stylish and beautiful. How do you get so much done with a little one? You’re amazing!
aw, thank you so much! pretty much every moment of free time i can find goes to making stuff 🙂
Good for you! I need to spend more of my free time making stuff and less of it looking at stuff other people made on the computer. But it’s so fun!
I too just found you through Noodlehead, fab playdough, and love the way she rocks the outfit! My daughter calls them “finger gloves” – who knows where they get things from!
i know, it’s a mystery! thanks for stopping by, i enjoyed perusing your blog, too!
your rainbow playdough looks so pretty. i always get sad when my little girls mix up the colours i make, which i do realise is crazy. but still 🙂
hope your little one is feeling better.
ha, not crazy at all. we have a no color mixing rule, but of course it happens, and it is indeed sad!
I’ve been reading your blog over a cup of coffee this morning and you are so awesome! I cracked up when you mentioned Bi-Mart…I’m originally from the NW and haven’t been to that store in years. Memories of my dad dragging me there for just about EVERYTHING. I love this play dough idea- most especially the storage container. I wonder if my 3 year old will eat this stuff? He eats everything….
Ha! Good old Bi-Mart – it has the most random things, but somehow always has what you need. yeah, the play dough doesn’t taste good, but there’s nothing in it that can’t be eaten – that’s the nice thing about making your own!
Love our blog, and can’t wait to try this at home! Can I ask, does the colour stain little hands?
thanks so much! i do try to incorporate the color a bit before i let her knead the dough – it’ll stain a little with direct contact, though nothing too serious – gone by the end of the day for sure.
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found you from Pinterest. Following you now. You are amazingly talented! I wish that I could do half the stuff you can, I can’t even work my sewing machine. THanks for the tip on the food coloring. I have to make an insane amount of play dough for my daughters birthday party and I need good colors.
This is awesome! I want to so this NOW:) where did you get the toys? I have been looking and can’t find any like the ones you have.
thanks! we got the toys from Land of Nod, but I think Melissa & Doug makes a similar set.
What brand is that storage must have….
it’s made by snapware! available at target and joann and all over 🙂
One more question now that I have all the tools, how do you mix color in?
After the dough cools a bit I just use a toothpick to add the color, then knead it in by hand!
What a great rainy (or sick) day activity. I’m amazed by how vibrant the colors are. I’m also amazed that she hasn’t mushed them all together already, as my niece loves to do.
Just used this GREAT recipe today, and I wanted to share what I learned from a “mistake” I made. I wanted to use up my old flour, and I only had whole wheat on hand. When I pulled it off the stove, I thought the tan base would make awful colors. Since I was making it for a little one w/construction trucks, I started w/brown food coloring (work w/what you have, right?) and it came out well. My daughter suggested I use only warm colors, so we did orange next, which came out beautifully. Not knowing what to bring to a preschool Thanksgiving party, I decided to dye the last batch yellow, which came out a rich gold, and I put a ball of each fall color into a little clear bag and knotted it w/fall ribbon. (I knotted it, lest they think they’re edible cake balls 🙂
BUT I remembered what you said about certain colors not taking right away, so I tried a bit of dough w/purple dye, and it turned a deep indigo. Apparently, what flour is used can affect the richness of color as well. I used the same recipe and gel dye. I haven’t tried all of the other colors yet, but if you want purple, whole wheat flour worked really well!
Hi! I just came across this blog through pinterest and love it! I want to make the playdough for my nephew’s second birthday… do you find that it dries out leaving it in the storage bin or should I get individual containers for each color? Thanks!
it keeps really well in the storage container – ours lasts for months! the less empty space the better, though – I always keep the dough in the smallest compartment so that it’s close to air tight. 🙂