How to make flour paint

Do you remember making paper mache at home or in school? What about homemade piñatas? The process of making flour paint isn’t much different, so grab a bag of flour from the kitchen cupboard and get ready!

You will need:
Natural pigment, like clay pigment
Fine sand, silica, quartz or marble dust
A friend
Paint brushes and buckets, and if you’re feeling especially creative, trowels, squeegees and any other improvised tool you think would leave a nice pattern on your walls.

First:
In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour with 4 cups water, whisking out any lumps.

Then:
In a large saucepan, boil 3 cups water.
Slowly stir in the mixture from the first step.
Reduce heat and stir until the “sauce” thickens.
Finally:
Remove from heat and slowly stir in 2 or 3 more cups of water.
In a separate bowl, stir together dry fillers/pigments and add to the main flour paste. Add more water if needed, to make a paint-like consistency.

You can loosely mix 2 colors if you want to get a faux effect, but test an area first with a sample batch, to practice. You can also add mica, limestone, marble or chalk for different colors and effects. Make sure the colors you use will work together. Consult a color wheel or designer, or find something you like in a magazine!

The important thing is to have the right consistency of the paint. It should flow smoothly off the brush, but not sag or drip. I often use it while it’s still warm, but it will keep for a week or two if you seal the container tightly.

Flour paint is often too thick for use with a roller, but you can use a roller to spread it over the wall, then even it out with the trowel or brush. There are also special texture rollers that are stiff enough to use with flour paint.

After the first coat, the brush marks may be obvious, but you can smooth these out after it’s started to dry by using a clean, damp brush. Personally, I like the texture. After the second coat, troweling the surface when the paint has half-dried can reveal marble, mica or other colors underneath. You can also spot-sand when fully dry. Again, try a sample area first, and don’t worry; sometimes the best results come from happy accidents! Besides you can always add additional coats, which creates more texture, depth and opportunity to reveal underlying colors. If you’re feeling uncertain, just roll it out smooth and leave it solid. Happy painting!