Child Safe Paint for Toys

This year I have made a good amount of the toys that my boys will get for birthdays.  Wanting to have a painted finished product, I went in search of a more natural paint to use during the process.

Here are some paints I have found:

*  Milk paint was the option I choose.  It is 100% natural with a milk protein binder... not good to use for a child with a milk based allergy.  This powdered paint comes in small sample bags making trying a variety of colors more economical.  You can mix the exact amount of powder you need and play around with the thickness of the paint to get the desired effect you are looking for. 

The one downfall is that you definitely need to seal the paint.  It is very susceptible to water spotting.  Using a beeswax finish is the idea option to create a completely natural toy for your child.  I used what was on hand which was unfortunately an acrylic spray.

The end result was beautiful, but not as natural as I would have liked.

*  Eco-Paint is an all natural paint made of flour, cornstarch and various fruit and vegetables.  It is sold in powder form and mixed as needed.

It did not state if this product needs to be sealed or not.

*  Watercolors make a great stain on natural toys, but need to be sealed because they are water soluble.  Be sure you get the AP Certified variety as not all watercolors are safe for toys.

*  Acrylic paint will work on all wood products and is very versatile.  It does however contain a plastic binder though which is a major downfall.  Again, some acrylic paint is safe for toys and some is not safe.   Look for that AP Certified label!

* Oil finishes such as linseed, walnut or mineral oil are a safe choice as well.  The only downfall here would be that the toys will not have any color.

*  Beeswax seems to be the most used sealant on natural toys.  You will need to repeat the process periodically which was another reason I choose a less natural alternative.  I was just afraid I would never get around to resealing as time goes on and wanted a toy that would last.

I really enjoyed experimenting with the milk paint.  I think I will get some beeswax to seal my next batch of toys just to test it out.

Hope this will help you make a child friendly choice when it comes to painting any toys you might make in the future. 

Do you make wooden toys? 

What kind of paint or finish have you used? 

How did you like the finished product?