How to Make Glitter Playdough

I know in some parts of the country you are all bundling up and keeping the kiddos inside…and..well…here in South Texas we’re on month seven of being stuck inside with the a/c buzzing. I’m ready for some cool weather to help me believe it’s Fall, but until then…what on Earth do I do to keep my two year old busy when she can’t play outside?! We make stuff, of course!

Pinterest has me brainstorming all sorts of creative ideas & last week I can across this post & had to give Glitter Playdough a try. I’ve experimented with playdough before, but it never came out quite right. But this stuff–this is a hit. & it is currently keeping my girly occupied for about an hour a day which means this mama is getting a LOT done! Especially around dinnertime.So…here’s the best recipe for playdough I’ve come across yet, complete with sparkles! OOH la la!

What you need:

• 1 C Flour
• 1 C Water
• 1/4 C Salt
• 1 TBSP Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
• Food Coloring (or if you want it to smell yummy, kool-aid)
• Glitter (the bigger flakes, the better)
• pot/pan & spatula
• & an eager little helper

Add everything to the pot. Doesn’t matter what order.

Stir, stir, stir. until pretty smooth.

You can either make one big batch of the same color, or separate it out before you add the food coloring. I doubled my batch & separated it out into six bowls.

Add food coloring or kool-aid & stir well.

The first time I made this I used regular food coloring & while the color was great, the stuff smelled like…playdough? Not the best smell in the world. I bought kool-aid (for the first time ever!) and while it certainly did add a very yummy scent to the final product, it did make my little one cough when it went POOF into a cloud as it hit the mixture in the bowl. So just be warned.

After the food coloring, add glitter. Add a decent amount–some will definitely stick around on little hands, but that’s half the fun, right?!

Your mixture should be pretty runny before you add to your pot.

Heat the pot on MEDIUM & DO NOT STOP STIRRING once you pour in the mixture. This step went extremely fast for me–well under a minute, so stir & don’t let it stick to the bottom! This is a mommy job.

The mixture will get clumpy & start to change colors. This is normal. It will eventually all turn a slightly darker shade of the original mixture. I had the best luck flattening mine into a pancake-ish shape & flipping it over. When you think it’s done, remove from heat. I just scooped mine onto the counter.

After mine cooled a tad, I kneaded it a little to be sure it was done. If it is a little too gooey, just put it back in the pot & cook a little longer.

& VIOLA! Glitter Playdough!

It’s so pretty…& smelled so good…I couldn’t help but play with it too!

I kept mine in the same containers I used to store my homemade baby food, and my little girl had the most fun playing with both the dough AND the containers. So don’t be afraid to let the babes play with it all!

More colors=more fun!

Hours & hours, I tell ya. Took no more than a half hour to make. So easy. So cheap. SO FUN!

Happy Playdough making!

Despite days full of washing diapers & messy fun, Shawna is determined to make mommyhood a stylish adventure. Married to the military & mother to one feisty girl, she is a passionate DIYer & loves sharing how to make the complicated simple. Shawna talks creativity, style, food, decorating, green-chic living & mommyhood at styleberryBLOG, a daily-ish dose of something fab.
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