Egg Yolk Painting

This home-made paint was something fun to try on a rainy day. It's quick to make, inexpensive, and not too messy. Plus, it uses items you probably already have in your kitchen, which is always a plus. We made two paint colors, one using 3 drops of neon blue food coloring, and the other using 3 drops of neon green food coloring. The finished product is glossy and the colors are quite pretty. Mia said, "Mom, it shows up really nice," although she thought the egg yolk made the green a bit too yellow. I wouldn't say it is ideal for keepsake painting, though, since the egg is bound to get yucky sooner rather than later. It's definitely more about the process than the product, much like corn syrup painting or raised salt painting. Egg yolk painting is something I would like to try again, however, as a decoration the next time we make sugar cookies. We will just need to use food-safe brushes to paint the cookies before baking them. I found the directions for making this paint here.

Materials:

• eggs (1 per color)
• bowls (1 per color)
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• spoons (1 per color)
• food coloring
• paint brushes
• paper
• sugar cookies (optional)
• newspaper (optional, to protect work surface)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, separate the yolk from the egg white. (I suppose you could use the egg whites for cooking or baking, but I wasn't thinking ahead, and just ended up discarding ours.)
2. Add water and a few drops of food coloring. Mix with a spoon.
3. Repeat for each color desired.
4. Protect work surface with newspaper if desired. (You might also wish to cover kids' clothing or have them wear old clothes.)
5. Paint onto paper (or sugar cookies). Let dry (or bake, as usual).

{"Our House" by Mia, Age 5}