Household compounds

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3/4 cup water  

2 Tablespoons corn syrup  

1 teaspoon white vinegar  

2 Tablespoons cornstarch  

3/4 cup cold water 

1 emptied ketchup or squeeze mustard bottles 

Mix water, corn syrup, and vinegar in saucepan. Bring to a full, rolling boil. In a bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water. Add this mixture slowly to the hot mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture returns to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, and then remove from heat. When cooled, pour into the emptied ketchup squeeze bottle and let stand overnight before using.

6 Tablespoon Corn Starch

1/2 cup Ice Cold Water  

4 cups Boiling Water  

2 Small emptied ketchup or squeeze mustard bottles

In a large bowl mix the ice cold water and corn starch. Stir the mixture constantly while pouring the corn starch at the same time. Pour the paste mixture a little at a time into the boiling water. The paste will thicken and become transparent as it cooks. When it gets to a nice thick and transparent consistency, remove it from the heat. When it is completely cool, you can pour the paste into the plastic squeeze bottles.  Label it and have fun!

Vinegar 

Warm water 

A spray bottle or sponge

Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Then, apply the mixture to the wallpaper, and allow it to soak in for fifteen to twenty minutes. The wallpaper should now scrap off with relative ease. You should probably use a paint scrapper for this.

Why This Works The acetic acid in the vinegar acts as a solvent, and dissolves the wallpaper paste.  Tips If the wallpaper still won’t come off easily, score the paper in more than one place, and apply another spray of remover.  Focus on one small area at a time. This way you will be able to get to the wallpaper before it dries.

Used on wooden decks for schooners, fishing boats, and porch decks. Makes for an amber finish. To customize the mixture, add more pine tar for a darker color or add less for a lighter color. Allow more drying time for the darker mixture. 

1 qt. Turpentine   

1 qt Boiled Linseed Oil  

1/2 pt. Pine Tar  

1/2 pt. Japan Drier

Covers approximately 100 square feet. Mix the turpentine, linseed oil pine tar and Japan drier all together in a disposable covered container. When you are finished please dispose of this properly at your city’s landfill area for hazardous waste.

If you need quantities of varnish remover to refinish portions of a wood floor and the woodwork, try this recipe for varnish remover. It's inexpensive and less dangerous than commercial products when small children are around. Mix: 

1 cup cornstarch  

1/2 cup cold water

1 quart boiling water 

3/4 cup washing soda 

1/2 cup ammonia 

1 Tablespoon vinegar

Apply it with a brush while it’s hot. Reheat the varnish remover if necessary. After the varnish loosens, wash it off with hot water and a cloth. Use de ionized water to wash the varnish off…soft water works better.

Commercial pigmented oil stains contain a few basic ingredients. All are equally important and perform a particular task.   

1. Pigment-It is the coloring. Today pigments are usually synthetic finely ground powders. Back in the day artists and wood workers Made their own colorants or pigments by drying and then grinding natural materials. For instance they would grind up flowers after they had dried for the particular color they wanted.  It's very similar to what you would do to color Easter eggs.  

2. Vehicle- Mineral spirits is the vehicle that most stains use to add to the pigment. They use mineral spirits because it evaporates quickly and can evenly distribute the pigment. Mineral spirits is a petroleum based solvent.  

3. Binder-Most manufacturers of stain use Tung oil or boiled linseed oil. Oil will keep the pigment on the piece of furniture after the mineral spirits dries. Oil gives the stain its body. 4. Drier-cobalt is usually used as a drier. Commercially it is known as Japan drier.  You can usually purchase this at an art supply store.  The following formula is for 1 quart of oil stain. For this formula Japan drier is not necessary because the Japan color and boiled Linseed oil contain a drier.  1 quart of mineral spirits 7 ounces of boiled linseed oil 4 ounces of Japan color Mix these together in a throw away bucket. Right down how you made it so that if you have to make it again you can get the right formula. 

Also as a note* use Boiled linseed oil. Raw doesn't dry....ever!

Bubble Formula

2/3 cup dishwashing liquid  

1 gallon water 

2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerin  

In a large bucket add all the ingredients. You can find things around the house to blow bubbles with or you can find them in the store.

Easter Egg Dye

To dye Easter eggs naturally, place raw eggs in a single layer in the bottom of a pan. Fill the pan with water (use a measuring cup and keeping track of how much water you use). For each cup of water you use, add 1 tsp. white vinegar. Add the food/dye (listed below), then bring the pot to a boil. You must boil them for 17 minutes. Remove the eggs to dry. If a darker, deeper color is desired, leave the eggs in the dye/water and let sit (off the heat) until the eggs reach the desired intensity.  

Lavender: purple grape juice, violet blossoms

Violet/Blue: violet blossoms, or a few skins of red onions (these have to be boiled)

Blue: blueberries, red cabbage leaves (must be boiled), or purple grape juice  Green: spinach leaves (must be boiled)  Green/ Yellow: boiled with peels of a Yellow Delicious apple  Yellow: boiled with orange or lemon peels, carrot tops celery seed, ground cumin, or ground turmeric

Orange: boiled with paprika  

Brown: very strong coffee, instant coffee, boiled with black walnut shells  

Orange/Yellow: boiled with yellow onion skins   

Pink: beets, cranberries, cranberry juice, raspberries, red grape juice, juice from pickled beets  

Red: boiled with red onion skins

Paste or Finger Paint

2 Tablespoons flour 

3 teaspoons water 

Pinch of salt 

Place theflour in a bowl. Add water to the flour and mix with a spoon. Add the salt. Use the paste to glue things on paper. If you're using this as a finger paint add food coloring .

Play Dough

1 cup flour 

1/4 cup salt 1

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 

1 cup hot water 

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small sauce pan. Slowly add the water and food coloring, mix well. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it is in a clump; stirring constantly.  Place on wax paper, the counter, or cutting board.  Knead for a couple of minutes (let it cool if it needs to). Store in covered container or a sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator. A few drops of food coloring (or a package of unsweetened soft drink mix)

Side Walk Chalk

1 cup of Plaster of Paris 

3/4 cup of water  Powdered tempera paint  

1 empty toilet tissue roll (per color)

Grab your empty toilet tissue roll and set it aside. Mix together the Plaster of Paris and the water. Add color to your mixture using powdered tempera paint. Blend well and let stand for a few minutes. Pour your mixture into the toilet tissue roll. Set aside and let dry enough to remove it from the mold without breaking it. Set it aside to dry completely for about 24 hours. Take your chalk outside and create fun masterpieces!

Slime

1 cup of homemade glue  

Liquid starch 

Food coloring, if desired 

Add starch to glue slowly until mixture becomes the right texture; slimy!