DIY Network

Homemade Treasure Stones and Creepy Toys From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-169

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Stones may be broken open to reveal hidden treasures. Figure A Treasure stones may be filled with hidden messages too. These rubbery creatures offer kids hours of imaginative fun. Figure B This stretchy putty bounces like a ball. It can also pick up the color from newspaper comics. Kids will have fun painting in the tub with bathtub finger-paints--and the tub will get clean at the same time.

Author and "kid concoction expert" John Thomas shares some of his homemade craft concoctions. He explains how to make treasure stones, kooky creepies, funny putty and bathtub finger-paints.

Treasure Stones

Materials:
1 cup flour
1 cup used coffee grounds
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sand
1 cup water
1 tablespoon powdered tempera paint
Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
Optional: cookie sheet
Small toys

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add water, and stir until the mixture is the consistency of bread dough. Add 1 tablespoon powdered tempera paint to tint the stone.

3. Break off a baseball-size piece of dough, and roll it into a ball.

4. Make a hole in the center of the ball big enough to hide a treasure (figure A).

5. Fill the hole with a treasure and seal with dough.

6. Let your treasure stone air-dry for 2 to 3 days or until hard. Or bake on a cookie sheet in a 150-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Materials:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons white glue
1/2 tablespoon liquid tempera paint
Assorted candy molds or cookie cutters
Two small mixing bowls
Mixing spoon
Zippered plastic bag

1. Mix liquid tempera paint and white glue in a small bowl.

2. In another small bowl, mix gelatin and hot water until gelatin is completely dissolved.

3. Add the gelatin mixture to the glue mixture.

4. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken. This may take as long as 6 to 7 minutes.

5. When the mixture thickens, quickly pour it into a candy mold or cookie cutter (figure B).

6. Place the mold in the freezer for 5 minutes or until firm.

7. Carefully remove from candy molds or cookie cutters and allow to dry for 1 hour on each side. Store in an airtight zippered plastic bag.

Materials:
1 tablespoon liquid starch
Food coloring
2 tablespoons white glue
2 small mixing bowls
Mixing spoon
Zippered plastic bag

1. Combine white glue and food coloring in a small bowl.

2. Pour liquid starch into a second small bowl. Pour the glue mixture on top of the liquid starch.

3. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes or until the glue absorbs the liquid starch.

4. Remove the putty from the bowl and knead. The more you knead it, the better the consistency will be.

5. Store funny putty in a zippered plastic bag.

• Press funny putty down on newspaper comics or pictures printed with an ink-jet printer. Slowly pull the funny putty from the paper. The picture will have been transferred onto the putty.

• Roll funny putty into a ball and bounce it.

  Bathtub Finger-Paints

  Materials:
  1/3 cup clear liquid dish detergent
  1 tablespoon cornstarch
  Food coloring
  Mixing bowl
  Plastic ice-cube tray or muffin tin
  

  1. Mix liquid detergent and cornstarch in a bowl until blended.

  2. Pour the mixture in equal parts into several sections of a plastic ice-cube tray or muffin tin.

  3. Add 1 to 2 drops of food coloring to each section of the tray, and mix with a spoon.

  4. Use bathtub finger-paints on the inside of the bathtub to paint pictures or play games such as hangman.
  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Kid's Puppet Theater
  	Kid's Crayon-Colored T-Shirts
  	Homemade Crafts for Kids
  	Magic Bird Pouch
  	Homemade Treasure Stones and Creepy Toys
  	Wearable Art for Kids
  	Magic Dip