Did you grow up with childhood books so special that just the thought of them warms your heart? I have quite a few favorites that my parents kept throughout the years, the original, lovingly worn editions from my childhood. Then there were a few that weren't kept for whatever reason, but I still remember loving to look through them. Make and Do from the Childcraft How and Why Library was one of my absolute favorites to look through, but one which got lost. It's an amazing craft book that covered everything from potato prints to weaving a bag. Not that I actually did a lot of crafts from the book, but the images were great inspiration for creative play. This Christmas, I finally got around to locating a used copy and introducing it to my kids. I'd highly recommend getting a copy for your family.
Seraphine and I recently made a homemade play dough recipe from this book which they call chemical clay:
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| We've tried several homemade play dough recipes over the years, and this one was best as far as consistency and modeling ability. The ingredients in this one were a tad smelly. |
1 cup salt
3/4 cup water
-Mix 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup cornstarch in cooking pot
-Slowly stir in 3/4 cup water. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Now is the time to add food coloring if you'd like
-Adult stirs mixture over low heat until it is stiff, like mashed potatoes, takes 2-3 mins.
-Spoon mixture to an old plate, let cool for 10 mins
-Press and squeeze clay for 3-4 mins. until it starts to feel like clay
-Store in airtight container or can bake shapes in oven and paint
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| Yes, it's a 70s book, so very vintage. Make and Do by Childcraft, 1979 edition. |
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| Our new cat, Petals, also known as Miss Moppet for the obvious literary reasons ;), who was very curious about the clay that day. |
