No-Heat Invisible Ink is not only easy to make, but FUN for your kids to play with! Isn’t it nice when a project you see online ACTUALLY works how it’s supposed to? Well this does! The vibrant colors turn out perfectly every time. This totally BLEW my child’s mind when we tried this and I know your kiddos will love it, too!
How to Make No-Heat Invisible Ink
I love activities like that only require a few supplies! I literally had everything I needed right at home.
Supplies for the Easy Invisible Ink Activity
- Tumeric
- Water
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Baking Soda
- Paper
- Paintbrushes
Instructions for No-Heat Invisible Ink
First, add 1 Tablespoon of baking soda to 1/2 cup of water. Next, stir the baking soda into the water to make your invisible ink. The baking soda will keep sinking to the bottom, but that’s ok! Just stir it up a couple times with your paintbrush every time you need invisible ink on your paint brush.
Use a paintbrush to paint whatever you’d like on the paper. You can use any kind of paper, but I really had great luck with watercolor paper. It’s thick and doesn’t get wrinkly when painting on it with the baking soda and water solution.
Next is the tricky part– waiting for it to dry! Make sure it’s completely dry or this project won’t work properly.
While you are waiting for your paper to dry, mix up your bright yellow color changing-solution. The yellow comes from turmeric! First, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol. You could also use 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. I had plenty of color-changing solution either way.
Let me warn you, if you have not worked with turmeric before, it DOES stain very easily! So, only use glass containers when mixing and also cover up any work surfaces very well. Gloves aren’t a bad idea, either!
Ok, now you need to stir the turmeric into the rubbing alcohol. It mixes up really easily. It smells strong, though! But it is indeed safe.
After the paper is dry, use a foam paintbrush (Or any type of paintbrush, really) to apply the color-changing solution to the paper to reveal the secret message!
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No-Heat Invisible Ink Activity for Kids
This no-heat invisible ink activity for kids combines several very common ingredients to make the secret ink appear! Works every time.
Materials
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 TBSP baking soda
- watercolor paper
- paintbrushes
- 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol (any percentage)
- 1 tsp turmeric
Tools
- glass measuring cup
- metal measuring spoons
- spoon for stirring
Instructions
- First, add 1 Tablespoon of baking soda to 1/2 cup of water. Next, stir the baking soda into the water to make your invisible ink. The baking soda will keep sinking to the bottom, but that's ok! Just stir it up a couple times with your paintbrush every time you need invisible ink on your paint brush.
- Use a paintbrush to paint whatever you'd like on the paper. You can use any kind of paper, but I really had great luck with watercolor paper. It's thick and doesn't get wrinkly when painting on it with the baking soda and water solution.
- Next is the tricky part-- waiting for it to dry! Make sure it's completely dry or this project won't work properly.
- While you are waiting for your paper to dry, mix up your bright yellow color changing-solution. The yellow comes from turmeric! First, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol. You could also use 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. I had plenty of color-changing solution either way.
- Let me warn you, if you have not worked with turmeric before, it DOES stain very easily! So, only use glass containers when mixing and also cover up any work surfaces very well. Gloves aren't a bad idea, either!
- Ok, now you need to stir the turmeric into the rubbing alcohol. It mixes up really easily. It smells strong, though! But it is indeed safe.
- After the paper is dry, use a foam paintbrush (Or any type of paintbrush, really) to apply the color-changing solution to the paper to reveal the secret message!