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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Making gentler demands on the environment, and the pocket. This is an old method, pioneers used with things like flour and milk. Milk paint was originally made from all organic raw materials; curdled milk, lime, and pigment. Black pigment may have been derived from coal, soot, or charcoal. Red from the earth's crust or a crushed brick or berries. Yellow Ochre harvested from the earth.

The classic red barns are most likely the result of an abundance of milk and the availability of red pigments in the form of rust (iron oxide).Livestock blood was also added to milk to produce blood paint.

Most of today's commercially manufactured paints contain toxic materials or petroleum-based ingredients that are energy-intensive to produce.We have also listed some eco-friendly suppliers for an option for the DIYers. Eco- friendly paint makes particular sense when decorating a baby or child's room. Keep these toxins out of the air by avoiding toxin-emitting paints.

There are a few recipes to choose from, some are better for certain surfaces or circumstances. Test the paints on a small spot before you decide which is the best and always take precautions.When making your own paint, it is important to experiment, test, experiment, and test some more. Have fun and end up with a beautiful combination of rich colors and interesting textures.

For best results, clean all surfaces thoroughly before painting.
Homemade paints contain food ingredients and should be used soon after mixing. You can refrigerate, but the binding ability may diminish.
It may be difficult to create exactly the same color over and over again. Try to mix as much paint as you can reasonably use in one work session.
Exercise caution with all powdered and caustic materials, especially lime. Wear gloves and goggles.
Crumpled oil-soaked cloths can spontaneously combust, so be sure to wash all cloths and other materials before disposal.
Natural pigments can also be found in powdered form in artist supply stores. Color can be added with any natural substance (rust, berries etc.) or water soluble dye.

Avoid using boiled linseed oil which has ingredients that can be hazardous to your health or linseed stand oil, choose - organically grown linseed oil.

Paint the exterior of a house with light-colored paint to help reflect unwanted radiant heat.

What Type of Paint:

Interior Surfaces: flour; casein; oil
Exterior Surfaces: oil; flour in mild climates; casein in extremely mild, non-humid climates
Bare Wood: oil; flour; casein
Stone: flour; casein
Bare Drywall: casein; flour (but not over joint compound)
Wallpaper: flour; casein
Earthen Plaster: flour; casein
Gypsum Plaster: flour
Masonry (Cement, Lime, Unglazed Brick, Unpainted Earth): flour; casein; oil
Painted Surfaces, Sanded: flour; casein
Surfaces that Require Frequent Cleaning: oil

Flour Paint
The proportion of ingredients doesn’t have to be as exact as it does with other choices of natural paint and any type of flour can be used.
Clay is the typical filler and comes in a wide variety of colors, but any combination of finely ground material can be used; chalk, mica, marble, limestone, silica will all work. To create a textured surface, use more coarsely ground materials. The color comes from clay and you can adjust the color by adding more or less clay as you mix the paint.

Flour paint is a fairly thick texture, brushes instead of rollers are best to use. After the initial application, the brush streaks will be clearly visible. When the paint has started to dry, to smooth -- go over with a damp sponge. Repeat, to reveal the filler in the paint.

1 cup flour
5 ½ cups cold water
1 cup  finely screened clay (or other) filler
½ cup additional filler (mica, etc)

Boil 1 ½ cups of  water while you mix the flour and 2 cups of water with a whisk. Once all the lumps have been removed. Add the combined water and flour to the boiling water. Reduce heat to low.

The mixture will begin to turn to a thick paste. Remove from heat and slowly stir in remaining two cups of water.

Combine the clay and powdered filler in a separate bowl.
Add to the water/flour mix.
Stir until the desired consistency is achieved. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Milk Paint
1 Cup Organic Powdered Nonfat Milk
1 Cup Water
Powdered Paint Pigment or Dye (Color)

Mix milk powder and water.
Add natural paint pigments to color, if desired.
Too much pigment will lessen the durability of the paint.
This paint formula should dry to a glossy finish. After the paint has dried 3-4 hours you may top coat with varnish, oil finish, Pure Tung Oil, lacquer, or wax. Try in inconspicuous area first, the color may change.

Casein Paint
Made from quark has a soft, matt, chalky white finish and is commonly used on interior walls. Quark, will be in the cheese aisle at the supermarket.

This will make enough colorwash to cover approximately 4 square metres (43 square feet).

Start by "slaking" the pigment. To do this put some pigment in a bowl and mix enough cold water to make a smooth runny paste and leave to stand overnight. Some pigments do not mix easily with water so try a little alcohol (organic vodka) instead.

Put the quark into a bowl then stir in the slaked pigment. Add enough to make a usable colorwash. Stir regularly during use, as the pigment will tend to settle out.

This wash needs to be applied quickly to walls (milk goes sour). Once this paint is dry, any smell disappears (you may like to add some of your favorite essential oils to the mix). Apply to a clean wall, which has two base coats of white eco-emulsion. Use a wide paintbrush or large bath sponge and apply the wash with sweeping strokes. Allow the first layer to dry thoroughly before applying the next. Further layers will deepen the color.

Milk Paint with Lime

1 gallon non-fat organic milk
2 ½ oz Type S lime (available at hardware stores) Builders Lime also called Hydrated Lime (do not use Quick Lime).
2 ½ cups water
pigment
6 cups chalk (or other filler)

Leave the milk in a warm place for a few days to curdle, then pour through a cheesecloth-lined colander to separate. 2 cups of curds should be the result.

Mix curds and lime in a blender. Add a bit of water if the mix isn’t blending well and strain to remove lumps.

Add water immediately. Dampen and crush pigment and add to mix until desired consistency is achieved.

Stir in chalk or other filler. Makes 1 quart

Oil Paint

Oil paint is great for exterior surfaces and the oil painted surfaces can be regularly cleaned without damage to the paint. Oil paint takes a very long time to dry, in fact some never completely dry – this is the property that gives oil paint its elasticity which helps it move with surfaces as they naturally swell and shrink with the temperatures.

Organic raw linseed oil and a natural solvent such as citrus thinner are the typical ingredients for natural oil paints.
If you intend to paint bare wood and want to cover the grain of the wood, prime the wood prior to painting. This will help seal the wood against moisture and will create a better bond with the paint. Oil glaze can be used over flour or milk paints to increase their resistance to water and makes a nice stain with or without added color.

Oil Glaze
1 teaspoon natural pigment
1 teaspoon powdered chalk
2 tablespoons powdered chalk
1 cup raw linseed oil
2/3 cup natural solvent
Dissolve pigment and powdered chalk in ½ cup of linseed oil. Stir in remaining ½ cup of linseed oil.Add solvent and remaining 2 tablespoons powdered chalk. Whisk to remove all lumps. Makes two cups.

Oil Paint
Different pigments will absorb different amounts of oil, so exact recipes are difficult. 
Pour 3 tablespoons linseed oil into a bowl and add pigment a little at a time until you achieve a dough consistency. Add more linseed oil until the mixture just begins to flow. Add solvent until the desired consistency is achieved. Strain to remove lumps.

Oil Paint Primer
Apply a thin coat along the wood grain. Remove excess with a cloth. Apply a second coat after first is completely dry, estimate 48 hours between coats.
1 pint raw linseed oil
1 pint natural solvent

Staining Wood with Tea and Vinegar

Tannins are naturally present in woods like oak, but pale woods like pine can be darkened by having tannins added to them in the form of strong black tea. Iron acetate (made with vinegar), when applied to wood, reacts with tannins to produce a rich dark color.

For tannins you'll need: 500ml of water and 25g Indian tea leaves.Boil the water and add it to the tea leaves. Allow the tea to steep for an hour or two, then strain into a bowl. Apply the mixture to the wood with a medium paintbrush or lint-free cloth; allow to dry. You'll find pale woods will be colored by this alone; if not then apply the iron acetate.

For iron acetate you'll need: a large wad of fine wire wool and malt vinegar. Place the wire wool in a jam jar and cover it with the malt vinegar. Screw the lid on and leave  overnight. The next day, strain the mixture through a colander or sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth to remove all the wire wool. Apply the iron acetate solution to the wood with a medium paintbrush or lint-free cloth. The wood will darken for up to half an hour. Allow to dry thoroughly before lightly sanding.

Clean Coatings of the Future

Chemicals used in conventional paints and coatings leach into the environment and can cause air pollution as they dry. However, nanotechnology could be the answer. Sally Ramsey, founder and vice president of new product development at US-based nanotech company Ecology Coatings, says new, paint-like coatings are the future. Made up of tiny particles with innovative characteristics, they're sprayed on and cured (or dried) using ultra-violet light, removing the need for a solvent.The result is a coating with no polluting characteristics. Nanotechnology can deliver other benefits such as scratch resistance, waterproofing or anti-mold capability - all without adding toxic chemicals.

Resources:
The Natural Paint Decorator, by Lynn Edwards and Julia Lawless, published by Kyle Cathie. The Natural Paint Book bridges the information gap, offering an in-depth explanation of the differences between conventional and eco-friendly paints. Illustrated throughout with full-color photographs, the book provides complete instructions on how to make all-natural paints and finishes at home, using readily available ingredients such as clay, gelatin, linseed oil, and artist pigments.

Food for Love, DIY Around the Home by Lynette Stein.

If you wish to purchase paints and finishes, look for ones made from natural ingredients such as plant based paint, clay paint and natural wood oils and varnishes. That are non-toxic and environmentally responsible.

Avoiding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are linked to headaches and nervous-system damage, and offgas even after paint dries; harsh ingredients in regular paints (such as benzene and formaldehyde) can trigger asthma and allergies. One gallon of conventional paint that's not properly disposed of can seep into the earth and pollute 250,000 gal of drinking water.

Eco-paint ranges are now up to date, with the color range, quality and coverage. Made with clay, organically grown linseed oil or other natural raw materials, these paints are safer alternatives to paints made with vinyl resins and chemical solvents.

Green Seal: Find a certified product http://www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/index.cfm#paints

Detailed information on early painting and pigment mining www.danielsmith.com

The fast, clean, and safe paint stripping system www.eco-strip.com

American Clay uses natural clays, recycled and reclaimed aggregates, and vibran http://www.americanclay.com/index.html

Natural Paint Manufacturers and Retailers:
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/natural_paint_manufacturers.htm

http://www.americanpridepaint.com/

http://www.annasova.com/catalog/aspaint.asp

http://www.bioshieldpaint.com/

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/

Paint Recycling
But what happens when the job is done and you have leftover paint? http://earth911.org/recycling/paint-recycling/

Natural Wallcovering

Skip the paint and go with an eco-friendly wallcovering. Eco wallcoverings like the grasscloth collection is made with jute or reed fibers, 100% post consumer paper, and natural vegetable dyes.
http://www.phillipjeffries.com/default.asp