Art DIY Recipes!

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Art Recipes — Making a Little Go a Long Way I’m always looking for ways to stretch a small budget, especially when you’ve got dozens of little hands and a big pile of ideas. Through the years, I’ve tested and tweaked a few tried-and-true DIY art supply recipes that seriously save money and work just as well (if not better!) than store-bought versions.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Homemade Mod Podge Yep—it’s really that simple. Just water down your white glue. I do this all the time to make it last longer, and it gives a great glossy finish when sealing projects.✨ Tip: I water down almost all my glue for general classroom use. Works wonders.

2. Clear Gesso Great for prepping surfaces without changing the look of your paper or canvas.

• 1 tbsp baby powder

• 2–3 tbsp water (add gradually)

• 4 tbsp white glue Mix until it’s like double cream in your coffee—smooth but not watery.

  

  
  

3. White Gesso Same as above, but add a pop of pigment:

• 1 tbsp white acrylic paint Now you’ve got a nice, chalky surface ready for paint or pastel work.

  
  
  
  

4. Texture Paste Want texture without buying those expensive jars? Here’s a go-to:

• 4 tbsp baby powder

• 1 tbsp white glue

• 1½ tbsp white acrylic paint Add just enough water to make it spreadable. Don’t overdo it—it should be smooth like cake frosting, not soupy.

  
  

5. Paper Mâché Paste I was so sad to hear that liquid fabric starch is becoming a thing of the past. BUT—you can make your own!

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 cups hot to boiling water Stir well to dissolve. I sometimes add a splash of white glue for students who struggle getting their paper to really stick.Old-school version? Add a bit of flour to the mix instead for that classic paste feel.

  
  

  

  
  

6. India Ink (in a pinch!) Need some strong, fluid black ink and don’t have the real deal? Grab a quality black acrylic paint and water it down until it’s ink consistency. Works beautifully for brush painting, calligraphy, or silhouette projects—especially when you're mid-lesson and realize your bottle is empty.

7. Black Glue Doing those awesome black glue line projects? You don’t need anything fancy—just take some old glue bottles and add black acrylic or tempera paint straight in. (Tempera works, but not all blacks are created equal, so adjust how much you add based on intensity.) Shake well and use the nozzle for easy outlining.These are amazing for batik-style projects on fabric or stained glass looks on black construction paper.

These recipes are lifesavers when you’re managing multiple classes and want to keep quality high without draining your budget. They’re also easy enough to mix up in small batches, which makes them perfect for test projects, art clubs, or one-time seasonal lessons. Plus—you know what’s in them. I love knowing we’re not working with a bunch of mystery ingredients and that we can always whip something up in a pinch.

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