Quick answer: To make tempera paint for kids, mix 1/2 cup flour (or cornstarch) with 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon salt, add a squeeze of dish soap or white glue for smoothness, then tint with food coloring or liquid watercolor. To make traditional egg tempera for fine art, mix an egg yolk (membrane removed) with roughly an equal amount of water, then grind in dry pigment a little at a time until it flows like cream. Both dry fast to a matte finish.
“Tempera” means two different things depending on who is asking. In a kindergarten classroom it is the bright, chalky poster paint in squeeze bottles. In an art history book it is egg tempera, the luminous medium used for icons and altarpieces for centuries before oil paint took over. This guide explains how to make tempera paint both ways, with exact ratios, storage times and fixes for common problems.
Homemade tempera is cheap and fun to make, but it rarely matches store-bought for washability and shelf life. If you need a dependable classroom paint, our guide to the best washable tempera paint compares the formulas parents and teachers reach for most.
What Is Tempera Paint?
Tempera is any paint where pigment is bound in a water-soluble or water-miscible binder that dries quickly to a matte, opaque finish. The word comes from the Latin temperare, “to mix” or “to blend.”
- Egg tempera uses egg yolk as the binder. It was the dominant panel-painting medium in Europe from roughly the 12th to the 15th century and is still used by some fine artists today. It dries in minutes, becomes permanent as it cures, and is built up in thin, cross-hatched layers.
- Poster or school tempera uses binders like starch, cellulose or synthetic resins. It is affordable, non-toxic and washable, but it is not as durable or flexible as artist paints.
How to Make Tempera Paint for Kids
Recipe 1: Flour-based tempera (no cook)
Makes: about 1 cup, enough for 4 small colors.
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon salt (helps texture and slows spoilage)
- 1 teaspoon clear dish soap or 1 tablespoon white school glue (optional)
- Food coloring, liquid watercolor or powdered tempera for color
- Whisk flour and salt together in a bowl.
- Add water gradually, whisking until smooth like pancake batter.
- Stir in dish soap or glue. Soap helps the paint wash out of fabric and stick to glossy surfaces; glue makes it dry with a slight sheen and resist flaking.
- Divide into cups and add color a few drops at a time.
Recipe 2: Cooked cornstarch tempera (smoothest)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon dish soap (optional)
- Color
- Whisk cornstarch into the cold water in a saucepan until there are no lumps.
- Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a translucent gel, usually 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cool, then stir in soap and color.
This version is glossier and more transparent than the flour recipe. Add a spoonful of white tempera or a little baking soda if you want more opacity.
Recipe 3: Powdered tempera
Powdered tempera from an art store is pigment plus binder in dry form. Mix it with water to a creamy consistency (start with roughly equal parts powder and water and adjust). For better adhesion and washability, add a teaspoon of liquid starch or a few drops of dish soap per cup. Mix only what you need; it spoils once wet.
Recipe 4: Egg yolk “kid tempera”
For older children who are curious about how historical paint worked, whisk an egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and tint it with food coloring. It dries glossy and fairly durable on paper. It is a short-lived paint that should be used immediately, and hands should be washed afterward because of raw egg.
Kids’ recipes compared
| Recipe | Texture | Finish | Keeps (fridge, sealed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | Thick, opaque | Matte, slightly chalky | 3–5 days |
| Cornstarch (cooked) | Smooth gel | Semi-gloss, translucent | About a week |
| Powdered tempera | Creamy | Matte | Several days once mixed |
| Egg yolk | Silky | Glossy | Use same day |
How to Make Egg Tempera for Fine Art
Traditional egg tempera is simple in ingredients and demanding in technique.
Materials
- A fresh egg
- Distilled water
- Dry pigments (artist-grade powder)
- A glass slab and glass muller, or a palette knife and glass palette
- A gessoed rigid panel (traditional true gesso of chalk and rabbit-skin glue is ideal; acrylic “gesso” is less absorbent and less traditional)
- A dust mask and gloves for handling dry pigments
Step 1: Prepare pigment pastes
Grind each dry pigment with a little distilled water on the glass slab until you have a smooth paste. Store pastes in small airtight jars with a little water on top to keep them moist. This step means you are not breathing dry powder every time you paint. Some pigments, including cadmiums, cobalts and lead-based whites, are toxic in powder form; never sand, blow or eat near them.
Step 2: Separate the yolk
- Crack the egg and separate it, passing the yolk between your palms or shell halves to remove the white.
- Roll the yolk on a paper towel to dry the outside.
- Pick it up gently by the membrane, hold it over a jar, and pierce the membrane with a knife tip so the liquid yolk runs out. Discard the empty membrane, which otherwise leaves lumps.
Step 3: Make the medium
Add roughly an equal volume of distilled water to the yolk and stir. Recipes vary; some painters use a bit less water. This yolk-water mix is your medium. A few drops of vinegar or a clove oil drop are sometimes added in traditional recipes to delay spoilage; neither is essential if you make fresh medium daily.
Step 4: Mix paint
Combine pigment paste and egg medium on your palette in roughly equal parts, then test. The right ratio varies by pigment. A useful test: paint a stroke on glass and let it dry. If it rubs off as powder, add more egg. If it peels in a rubbery film or cracks, there is too much egg.
Step 5: Paint in thin layers
Egg tempera is applied in many thin, translucent strokes, often hatched or cross-hatched, rather than thick blended passages. It dries to the touch in minutes. Thick applications crack. Build color and value gradually by layering.
Step 6: Cure and finish
Egg tempera reaches full hardness over months as the yolk cures. Once cured, it can be buffed with a soft cloth to a gentle satin sheen. Many painters leave it unvarnished; others varnish after six months or more.
Coloring Homemade Tempera
The colorant you choose affects brightness, staining and safety more than the base recipe does.
| Colorant | Brightness | Staining risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid food coloring | Medium | Moderate on fabric and skin | Cheap and easy; 4–6 drops per 1/4 cup |
| Gel food coloring | High | Higher | Very concentrated; start with a toothpick tip |
| Liquid watercolor | High | Low to moderate (washable versions exist) | Vivid, mixes smoothly into starch bases |
| Powdered tempera | High, opaque | Low (washable types) | Adds body and coverage to pale homemade paint |
| Spices and purees (turmeric, beet, cocoa) | Low to medium | Turmeric and beet stain strongly | Best for taste-safe paint for toddlers |
Mix colors in a white base. A spoonful of white powdered tempera or a little extra flour makes homemade paint more opaque so it covers dark paper.
Making Tempera for a Whole Class
Teachers and party hosts often need paint for 20 or more children at once. A few habits make bulk batches easier:
- Scale by volume, not by guesswork. Multiply the flour recipe by four for about a quart, enough for a class of 20 doing one project.
- Use squeeze bottles. Recycled condiment bottles portion paint quickly and keep it from drying in open cups.
- Mix the night before and refrigerate, then let the paint come to room temperature and stir before use.
- Use muffin tins as palettes. One tin per table, one color per cup, reduces spills and mixing mud.
- Label and date jars. Homemade paint does not announce that it has turned until it smells.
Store-Bought vs Homemade Tempera
| Factor | Homemade (kids) | Store-bought washable tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Pennies per batch | Low to moderate |
| Color strength | Pale to medium, depends on colorant | Bright and opaque |
| Shelf life | Days | Months to years, sealed |
| Washability | Usually good; food coloring can stain | Formulated to wash out of most fabrics |
| Cracking on paper | Common with thick flour paint | Less common |
| Safety labeling | None; you control ingredients | Look for ACMI AP non-toxic seal |
Homemade wins for the experience and for very young children who may taste the paint. Store-bought wins for reliability. Many families keep a few bottles from our list of top washable tempera paints for kids and make a homemade batch as a weekend activity.
Where Can You Use Tempera Paint?
Tempera works best on absorbent surfaces. Here is how it behaves on common surfaces kids and parents ask about:
Can you use tempera paint on canvas?
Yes, but it tends to crack and flake if applied thickly, because canvas flexes and tempera is brittle. Use thin layers on primed canvas or canvas board and seal with a spray varnish for anything you want to keep.
Can you use tempera paint on wood?
Yes. Raw or primed wood is absorbent and takes tempera well. Seal finished pieces with a clear acrylic sealer, since tempera is water-soluble and smudges if it gets wet.
Can you use tempera paint on windows and glass?
Yes, and this is a popular holiday activity. Mix a few drops of dish soap into the tempera so it wipes off easily later. Use it on the inside of windows, since rain washes it away outside. Remove it with warm soapy water and a squeegee. It is not permanent on glass, so do not use it on glassware you want to keep decorated.
Can you use tempera paint on skin or face?
Washable tempera is non-toxic, so a smudge on the hands is not a concern. It is not designed as face or body paint, though. It can dry tight, crack and irritate sensitive skin, and it should never go near the eyes. Use cosmetic-grade face paint for faces.
Does tempera paint wash off clothes?
Washable tempera usually does if you treat it promptly: scrape off excess, rinse from the back with cold water, pretreat with liquid detergent and launder. Non-washable tempera and dark colors like red and purple are harder to remove. Air-dry until the stain is gone, since dryer heat can set it.
Troubleshooting Homemade Tempera
- Lumpy: whisk dry ingredients first, add water slowly, or blend briefly.
- Cracks when dry: paint is too thick or too much flour. Thin it or add a spoon of glue.
- Too transparent: add a little white tempera, chalk powder or baking soda.
- Smells sour: it has spoiled. Discard and make a fresh batch. Refrigerate leftovers in sealed jars.
- Egg tempera powders off: not enough egg medium. Add more yolk to the mix.
- Egg tempera peels: too much egg or layers too thick. Thin with water and paint lighter strokes.
FAQs
What is tempera paint made of?
Traditional egg tempera is pigment bound with egg yolk and water. Modern school tempera is pigment with binders such as starch, cellulose or synthetic resin, plus water and preservatives.
Is homemade tempera paint washable?
Usually, because it is made from flour or starch and water. Strong food coloring can still stain fabric, so treat spills quickly.
How long does homemade tempera paint last?
Refrigerated in a sealed jar, flour-based tempera lasts 3 to 5 days and cooked cornstarch tempera about a week. Egg-based tempera should be used the same day.
Can you make tempera paint without flour?
Yes. Use cornstarch, powdered tempera with water, or egg yolk as the binder.
Is tempera the same as acrylic paint?
No. Acrylic dries into a flexible, water-resistant plastic film. Tempera dries matte and stays water-soluble (school tempera) or cures hard but brittle (egg tempera).
Does egg tempera smell or rot?
The mixed medium can spoil within a day or two, so make it fresh. Once a painting is dry and cured, it does not smell or rot.
Final Thoughts
Homemade tempera is a fun, low-cost project for kids, and egg tempera is a rewarding challenge for painters who want to work like medieval and early Renaissance artists. For everyday classroom painting, though, a reliable bottled paint saves time and stains. Browse our comparison of the best washable tempera for kids for formulas that are bright, non-toxic and easy to clean up.
