Somehow it always happens that we run out of watercolors on Sunday afternoon, and the girls like to draw in all the possible techniques and even in the snow, so I have become a real master in finding ways to make our own, homemade paint. You've probably already read how we used various materials - from yogurt through salt and flour, to the ice frozen colours , with a great help from the inevitable food coloring.
On one hand these colors are great as they are made from edible ingredients, but there is also the aspect of throwing food away, which is hard to ignore. So the idea to make watercolors out of old, dried markers sounds very good considering these aspects.
Just soak them in water and let it settle. The result is quickly visible - hold them in the water for as long as you want, depending on the desired color intensity .
We left ours at the sun, but I can not guarantee that was the thing which gave us more intense color, it is more likely because we left them for the entire morning to soak.
When you paint with these colors, the trace which remains on the paper is as intense as the trace of painting with store-bought colors, but of course I was so much into this activity that I forgot to take pictures. It happens to me way too often.
Don't throw away markers after that. They can be used as sticks for making paper dolls, candles on a play dough cake, and their lids also have numerous possible usages.