Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for a mid-week meal as part of the 30-Day Food Challenge. I think I may try to talk the hubby into sneaking off to Bisque with me this afternoon. Locals and Anderton Bistro-Pub are open today too.
I’ve been cooking up a storm at home these last few weeks and also have been coming up with ways to make sure all parts of our gorgeous beets, chard and other yumminess get used.
The result, food dyes. Check ‘em out:
I love color.
The kiddo loves color.
If there is one thing that is mandatory in our art projects, it would be color.
Artificial food coloring has always been our fallback for most things – even though I know things like artificial red and yellow dyes that are often found in food have also been found to have serious long-term health effects.
I also REALLY didn’t want to put the time in to make natural food dyes.
Cook this, chop things, boil that. Seems tedious.
But, then this year our garden exploded – and early crops of beets and chard started piling up in the fridge.
I love beets. But the tops, not so much. Ken and the tiny person will only eat so many.
So, there they were on the counter, going the way of the dodo – and the kiddo wanted to do a painting project.
Hence, the food dye making experiment commenced.
Here’s what you need:
- Food like yellow onions, beets, blueberries and chard (yellow, red, blue and green)
- A pot
- Water
- White vinegar
- A canning or old spaghetti sauce jar with a lid
Directions (for making red):
1. Take leftover beet tops and throw them in about three cups of boiling water.
2. Let boil for about 30 minutes, then stew on low for a couple of hours
3. Strain into a jar about 3/4 of the way full
4. Top off with vinegar
You can use the colors a bit at a time after this for things like making paint, dying t-shirts, coloring playdough and more.
They won’t last forever as they are plant-based. But, the vinegar is a preservative and extends the life of the colors.
A fun way to use the entire plant or bits of veggies and fruits that are about to hit the compost bin as well as keep the toxic craft craziness to a minimum.
Wow! Rosina’s bags were a hit yesterday!
Here’s today’s question: What are some of your creative ways of making craft supplies that keep toxic products out of the house?
I have one of those cool stainless steel lunch kits for a random commenter.
The winner from yesterday is Jess!
This contest is closed.
I’d love to try making dye! I think I’ll try it this summer on some old not-so-white clothes using those wee little juicy cherries… (my neighbour has a tree… her and her little boy always have purple feet during cherry season from going bare-foot in the back yard
We’re big into using recycled paper around her. We use recyled “business” paper for Ruthie to colour on (we mark the printed side with a large X so that she knows she can draw on it… ).
I love using recycled paper too! One of my favourite papers to use the inside of security envelopes. The patterns are lovely… Here is a sample from last christmas:
http://hand-drawn-heart.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-have-secret.html
(using security envelopes, vintage wall paper, recycled magazine pages…)
Thats a hard one robin! I do try and reuse paper, melt down old crayons and buy natural crayons and some cool beeswax modeling clay but as for making, I guess I would like to try to make some beeswax modeling clay or beeswax crayons but it sounds hard!
The best we do regarding keeping toxic craft supplies out of the house is by trying to be real aware of the choices we make with what we bring into the house. We try to purchase non-toxic glue, paints etc.
We recycle and reuse paper to make our creations. Often my son’s old painting and drawings get cut up later for collaging into new pieces of art.
We love grating up old crayons and melting them between pieces of wax paper to create abstract art.
This is a great question Robin!
What an awesome use for beet tops. I’ve made home-made paint before. It was loads of work but really fun for the wee dude to watch, help and use. I’m a fan of using thirfted magazines, fabric scraps and other paper bits for collages. But the best ever natural craft supply we made was glue from Soule Mama’s book “The Creative Family”. It was easy and lasts. Our collaged crayon container (old ice cream container) is still rockin’ one year later.
I have to be honest – I haven’t really thought much about this before! Great topic for discussion Robin!
Awesome use for all those beet tops!
I have experimented with natural dyes before. We always save onions skins for easter eggs and I’ve played around with fruit and tea dyeing fabrics. Even sealed some wool in a bag with blueberries one time and let it grow mould – it created all sorts of interesting colours (but I’m not really sure if that counts as non-toxic! ha!)
We do make playdough and paper mache.
I found this which has helpful tips for better choices:
http://www.watoxics.org/safer-products/choosing-safer-products-art-and-craft-supplies
I’m sure most of us moms avoid those nasty permanent markers anyway…. or as Robert Munch calls them ’super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-your-dead-markers’