Fall Play Recipe ~ Pumpkin Craft
We LOVE crafting with Kool-Aid.  Check the cool Easter Egg dye we made not too long ago.  l  Not only does Kool-Aid come in wonderfully bright colors, but it is “only pennies a glass!”  My kids favorite part is the slightly overwhelming fruity smell each packet contains.  Totally perfect for this adorable this Kool-aid pumpkin activity.
Kool-Aid Pumpkins:
- Unsweetened Kool-Aid – we used a mix of orange and cherry for the pumpkins and lemon-lime for the stem. Â Don’t use the lemon flavor, it is too light to show any color. We have also used Jello in the past with great results.
- Old salt shakers to make it easy for sprinkling the Kool-aid.
- Spray Starch – found in the laundry isle.
- Plastic report cover, or any slippery surface.
- Heavy Card Stock.
Tape the report cover down to keep it from slipping around. Â Spray it generously with starch, and sprinkle with the Kool-aid. Â Old salt shakers work great for helping little fingers sprinkle the Kool-aid. Â This step causes the wonderful wafting smell of Kool-aid to fill the room.
Lay your card stock on top of the starch/Kool-Aid and gently rub it to make your print. Â Set the print aside and allow to dry completely before cutting into your desired shape. Â We chose to make pumpkins since fall is right around the corner, but you could use this technique for just about any shape, or simply use it as a background.
There is not need to wipe the report cover between prints. Â Just simply spray with more starch and sprinkle again with Kool-Aid. Â The residue from the last print will only add to the new one.
Once the prints dried I used a sharpie to create a simple pumpkin shape.  If you are not comfortable drawing your own shape simply do a search for pumpkin coloring images and use that as your template.
For more pumpkin inspiration, check out our yarn pumpkins, paper plate pumpkins and a list of 36 No Carve Pumpkin Techniques you will love!
Check out the beautiful texture that the Kool-Aid created!  The irregular and unpredictable patterns are simply stunning.
These would be so cute hung on twine as a banner. Â I love how they turned out, and my kids can’t stop smelling their creations.
I did this with my daughter this afternoon as a trial run. It turned out super cute. I was going to do it in her class tomorrow. Just wondering if you had any ideas to keep the kool aid from coming out of the shaker so quick. Thanks for the craft. It is very cute.
I wounder if you added rice to the shaker if that would help. I know it keeps salt from clumping, but it also might keep the kool-aid from shaking out so fast. If nothing else it would add a musical dynamic to the project:) I would love to hear how your pumpkins turn out!
Just dip a paint brush into the kool aid powder, then tap the brush with your finger as you move it across your paper. Worked for me.
I love your pumpkins, so cute!! We love Kool-aid, my son says the same thing about the fruity smell. It is so much fun to use. Here is a link if you would like to check it out.
http://www.mommasfunworld.blogspot.com/2012/09/15-things-you-can-do-with-kool-aid.html
I love your list! Thanks for sharing.
Hi. I’m wondering about how long it would take for the Kool-Aid to dry before cutting out the pumpkins?
Thanks.
It takes a few hours. However, I usually grab the hair dryer to speed things up:)
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I really like the texture in this project.
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These are wonderful! I bet they smelled delicious too. 🙂
These are fantastic! I love the textures! Featured this on my 40 Halloween Crafts for Kids Round-Up!
This is a wonderful idea. I will put it on my back burner and try it with my little turtle as a craft. I won’t remember where I got it but thank you now for this.
Blessings,
Janis
Hello! Love your blog and was wondering if you could substitute anything for the spray starch? Wanted to do this, but have none. Any ideas?
I was also curious s to WHY you use spray starch? What does it do?
About how much kool aid did you use? And for how many students? I’m wondering how many packets i need to buy.
Thanks! Such a brilliant idea!