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Melted Candy Watercolors

Sep 30, 20146,162 views
Art Projects
Homemade Paint: Melted Candy Watercolors Save
homemade watercolors art Save
homemade liquid watercolors made with candy Save
melted candy paint Save
Materials Save

by TurkeyMom in Art Projects

Ages2–6 yrs
Prep15 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Unwrap and sort leftover Laffy Taffy by color, then microwave 4 pieces with 2 tbsp water to make glossy, sweet-smelling homemade liquid watercolors. A handy use for Halloween candy.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Adult does the microwaving. Melted candy and water can be very hot. Let the paint cool and check the temperature before kids use it.
  • Taste-safe, not a snack. The paint is made from candy, so an accidental lick is no cause for panic, but don't let kids drink or eat it.
  • Whole and unwrapped taffy pieces can be a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. Keep the candy away from little ones during sorting.
  • Laffy Taffy contains corn syrup and gelatin. Check the candy label for allergens and dyes before using it with a group.
  • Candy colors are very vibrant and may stain hands, clothes and surfaces.
  • Supervise painting at all times.

Before the kids arrive

  • Stash away a bunch of Halloween candy (Laffy Taffy) before it all gets eaten.

Steps

  1. Peel the wrappers off the candy and sort the pieces by color.

  2. Put 4 pieces of one color and 2 tbsp of water in a microwavable glass bowl or jar.

  3. Adult: microwave for about 45 seconds, until all the candy melts into smooth color.

  4. Adult: let the paint cool and check that it isn't hot before handing it to kids.

  5. Repeat with each color to make a set of paints.

  6. Paint on paper with the candy watercolors.

  7. If the paint thickens, stir in 1 tbsp of warm water.

  8. Let the art dry for a while, then come back and sniff it.

Tips

  • If the kids can resist the urge to scarf down the candy, enlist their help. Peeling wrappers works fine motor skills, and sorting by color works color recognition.from the author
  • The smoother and clearer the colors are, the better they flow on paper. More candy, less water or a shorter microwave time leaves gunkier paint with candy bits floating around.from the author
  • Don't double the recipe in one bowl. 8 candies with 4 tbsp of water gives gunkier paint. For translucent watercolors, make two 4-candy batches, or use slightly more than 4 tbsp of water for 8 candies.from the author
  • The candy contains corn syrup and gelatin, so the paint gets thicker over time. Simply add 1 tbsp of warm water and you're good to go.from the author
  • The colors are so vibrant on their own that there's no need to add extra coloring. The corn syrup makes the paint glossy and shiny.from the author
  • Now your art not only looks good but smells good as well.from the author

Make it your own

  • For thicker, textured paint, try 6 Laffy Taffys with the same 2 tbsp of water and 45 seconds in the microwave.
  • Experiment by varying the water, candy and microwave time, and compare the results.
  • Use Starburst instead of Laffy Taffy.

Questions readers asked

Will Starburst work instead of Laffy Taffy?

Yes. The author confirmed that Starburst will work.

My paint got thick. What do I do?

The corn syrup and gelatin in the candy thicken it over time. Stir in 1 tbsp of warm water.

Can I double the recipe?

The author recommends against it. 8 candies with 4 tbsp of water gives gunkier, thicker paint. Make two batches, or use a bit more than 4 tbsp of water.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · September 2014
Materials
Start off with sorting your candy. The children really work on their fine motor skills while peeling off the wrapper, and brush up on their color recognition while they sort the candy by color.
1 / 5

Melted Candy Watercolors: the original post

Make sweet smelling homemade paint with just melted candy. Once Halloween rolls around and your house is being over run with candy and candy wrappers you will know what to do with all those candy! Rather than eating them or throwing them away much to the chagrin of your children stash away a bunch and make PAINT. We love homemade paints here. All of our previous candy activities for kids here. Visit my friend Allison’s landing page for a ton of candy activities from a bunch of bloggers. Materials

  • Laffy Taffy
  • Microwavable Containers
  • Water

Start off with sorting your candy. If the kids can resist the urge to scarf down the candy, enlist their help. The children really work on their fine motor skills while peeling off the wrapper. They brush up on their color recognition while they sort the candy by color. Materials I did not take any shots of the melting process inside the microwave well because the pictures almost never come out clear. So I’m just going to use words and you will have to read. HA! Gotcha! No more scrolling down pictures.

Homemade paint recipe : Candy Paint

So for every 4 pieces of Laffy Taffy candy I used 2 TBSP of water. I placed the candy and the water in a glass bowl and microwaved them for about 45 seconds. melted candy paint Once all the candy melts you will be left with smooth looking, gorgeous candy colors. {Don’t you just love simple homemade paint? I mean, you know what just went in there! Taste-safe homemade paint safe even for babies! } homemade liquid watercolors made with candy If you either add more candy, less or water OR microwave the contents for a shorter interval you will be left with slightly gunkier colors with some candy bits floating around. While they are ok to use the smoother and clear the colors are the better they flow on paper. Having said that i like the thickness of the paint if made with slightly more candy or less water. Please try both and see which one you like the best. Try using 6 candy bits ( 6 Laffy Taffys) and add the same 2 TBSP of water ad microwave for the same 45 seconds and see the difference. Experiment by varying the water, candy and microwave time. Homemade paint is your ideal candidate for experimentation. After trying a variety of combinations we liked this combination the best. Note: If you going by our recipe of 4 candy bits and 2 tbsp of water try not doubling the recipe. 8 candy bits and 4 tbsp of water yields still gunkier paint( which are thick and have a lot of thickness and texture. You will like that too!) But if you are looking for translucent, sweet smelling water colors then try doing the 4 candy bits and 2 tbsp of water twice. Or add slightly more than 4 tbsp of water for the 8 candy bits.

Homemade Paint: Melted Candy Watercolors

Since the candy contains corn syrup and gelatin you will see that this candy paint gets thicker over time. Simple add 1 TBSP of warm water and you are good to go. The colors are so vibrant by themselves (yikes!) so there is no need to add extra colors. The presence of corn syrup makes the paint so glossy and shiny. homemade watercolors art Let your art to dry for a while. Come back and sniff and relish in the amazing candy paint you and your kids just created. Now your art not only looks good but smells good as well.

Thanks for reading

More art recipes can be found on our category page

More play recipes are found here.

Art projects are here

For everything else there is always Pinterest

Yummy smelling homemade liquid watercolors with JUST melted candy_ Easy recipe included

Both the books are on SALE! ENDS 9/14/2014**

What readers say

💬 2 comments ✍️ 1 answered by the author

Answered by the author

“Would Starburst work instead of Laffy Taffy?” · Renee

Author Yes, the author says Starburst will work.

✨ Readers' twist

No Laffy Taffy? Try Starburst

A reader without Laffy Taffy asked whether Starburst would work instead, and the author confirmed that it will.

“I wonder if starburst would work... We don't have any Laffy taffy...”
Renee, Oct 2014

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 2 comments

  1. TurkeyMomAuthor · Oct 2014 · replying to Renee

    Yes they will.

  2. Renee · Oct 2014

    I wonder if starburst would work... We don't have any Laffy taffy...

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