Homemade Paint Recipes : Glowing Puffy Paint

by TurkeyMom in Art Projects

Ages2–6 yrs

Prep25 min

Activity30 min

Leveleasy

MessHigh

Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Mix flour, baking powder and fluorescent paint into squeezable puffy paint. Kids squeeze and pour it onto cereal-box cardboard under a black light, then an adult microwaves the art for a few seconds so it puffs up.

⚠️ Safety first

Not taste-safe: the paint contains raw flour and fluorescent craft paint. Keep it out of mouths, supervise toddlers closely and wash hands after.
Adult does the microwaving: about 30 seconds total in 10-second bursts. Watch the whole time.
The art comes out of the microwave hot. Let it cool before kids touch it.
Use plain cereal boxes or cardboard with no foil, metallic print or staples, because these can spark in the microwave.
Don't let kids stare directly into the black light.
Playing in a dark room: clear the floor of trip hazards and keep an adult with the kids.

Before the kids arrive

Cut cereal boxes or cardboard boxes into canvases, one or more per child.
Find a dark spot for the black light.

Steps

Add water to 1/2 cup flour a little at a time until you get a thick mixture that flows freely. Stir out all the lumps.
Stir in 2 tsp baking powder.
Scoop a whole tube of fluorescent paint into the mixture with a small spoon and mix well.
Fill a squeeze bottle with the paint. Make one batch for each color.
Turn on the black light in a dark spot and set out the cardboard canvases.
Squeeze the paint into dots, puddles and pictures.
Try pour painting: bend a cardboard sheet, set it at an angle and pour the colors over the slanted side.
Adult: microwave the finished art for about 30 seconds, in 10-second intervals, so it puffs.
Let the art cool, then admire the puffed paint under the black light.

Tips

For the brightest glow, use one tube of fluorescent color for about 1/2 cup of flour. You can do 1 cup too, but the glow will be kind of subdued. Our brightest orange is 1/2 cup flour and the pink is 1 cup.from the author
This time I didn't quite get the measurements right and the paint didn't puff big enough. It was still a gorgeous process even if the paint doesn't puff.from the author
Use heavy material as a canvas. We go with cereal boxes or cut-up cardboard boxes.from the author
For the little ones it's all about the process. My toddler wanted to empty the entire bottle in the same place on a single sheet, while my 5.5-year-old loved making dotty pictures.from the author
Getting paint out of the tube? I just used a small spoon to scoop it out and added it to the puffy paint in the squeeze bottles.from the author
A reader suggests looking for black lights at mall gift shops such as Spencer's Gifts, which sold both tube and bulb styles.from readers

Make it your own

Pour painting: pour all the colors over a bent, slanted cardboard sheet and watch the glowing paint flow.
Make dotty pictures with little squeezes of paint.
Skip the microwave and enjoy the glowing puddles as process art.

Questions readers asked

How do I get the fluorescent paint out of the tube?

The author used a small spoon to scoop it out and added it to the puffy paint in the squeeze bottles. Then use the paint with a black light on in a dark room.

Does it glow in the dark on its own?

The glow comes from fluorescent paint under a black light. The author says to use it with a black light on in a dark room.

Does it only puff after microwaving?

In the post, the finished art is zapped in the microwave for about 30 seconds in 10-second intervals, and the photos show it puffed afterward. Baking powder is what makes it puff.

Why didn't my paint puff much?

The author says she didn't quite get the measurements right one time and it didn't puff big enough. It was still a gorgeous process.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · March 2014

The recipe is the same one we have always been using, the ever-so popular microwave puffy paint. The fluorescent paint we used to get the glowing pigment was purchased online.

MATERIALS — The recipe is the same one we have always been using, the ever-so popular microwave puffy paint. The fluorescent paint we used to get the glowing pigment was purchased online.

1 / 8

What readers say

💬 6 comments ✍️ 1 answered by the author

Answered by the author

“How do you get the glow paint out of the tube? Shaking it didn't work.” · Linda shumaker

Author Use a small spoon to scoop the paint out and add it to the puffy paint in the squeeze bottles. Use it with a black light on in a dark room.

 🛠️ Troubleshooting
Getting fluorescent paint out of tubesA reader struggled to get the glow paint out of the tube. TurkeyMom scooped it out with a small spoon into the puffy paint bottles.
“I just used a small spoon to scoop out the paint and added it to the puffy paint ( in the squeeze bottles).”TurkeyMom, Aug 2014🛠️ Troubleshooting
Where to find a black lightCan't find a black light? A reader says Spencer's Gifts stores in malls still sell both tube-style and bulb-style black lights.
“For a black light, go to any mall and find the store called "Spencer's Gifts" they still sell black lights.”Annie, Mar 2014🎉 Worked for us
Puffy texture and marbling admiredA reader loved how the puffy paint texture and the marbled colors turned out.
“I love the puffy paint texture and marbling :)”Ana, Apr 2014 

Read all 6 comments

Satyajay Mandal · Jan 2021

That is right Ana, I have also planned to do this for the kids in our family
Rach · Jan 2015

How expensive are the fluorescent stuff? Is this cheaper than buying it? And does it only puff after being microwaved?
TurkeyMomAuthor · Aug 2014 · replying to Linda shumaker

I just used a small spoon to scoop out the paint and added it to the puffy paint ( in the squeeze bottles). Use the paint with a black light on in a dark room, you should have a pretty good paint.
Linda shumaker · Aug 2014

How do you get the glow stuff to come out of the tube? I cut one open and I shook it and it really didn't come out very good at all. Is there a trick to get the stuff out?
Ana · Apr 2014

This turned out so awesome! I love the puffy paint texture and marbling :) Bravo!!!!
Annie · Mar 2014

For a black light, go to any mall and find the store called "Spencer's Gifts" they still sell black lights. They sell both the florescent tube style as well as the bulb style.

Similar activities

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Kids

Contains: wheat / gluten, small swallowable parts

Materials

½ cupFlour

Household item · One batch per color. 1/2 cup flour gives the brightest glow. With 1 cup flour the glow is more subdued.
2 tspBaking powder

Household item · This is what makes it puff in the microwave.
Water

Household item · Add it a little at a time until the mixture is thick but flows freely.
1 pieceFluorescent paint

One tube per 1/2 cup flour for the brightest glow, one color per batch. The author scooped the paint out of the tube with a small spoon.

Amazon Walmart Target
1 pieceSqueeze bottles

One bottle per color. The author made 4 bottles.

Amazon Walmart Target
1 pieceBlack light

The paint glows only under the black light, so use it in a dark room or spot.

Amazon Walmart Target
2 piecesCereal boxes or cut-up cardboard

Household item · You need heavy material for this. The author uses cereal boxes or cut-up cardboard boxes.
1 pieceMixing bowl and spoon

Household item · For mixing each color. A small spoon also helps scoop paint out of the tube.
1 pieceMicrowave

Household item · To puff the finished art.

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🛒 Materials