Food coloring is essentially used to make our food look the way we want. Most times, we use food coloring or food dye to bring out the shine in the serving. Other times we simply want to get creative and turn our food into a whole work of art, which can be really amazing when it comes out well. But did you know there are tons of awesome stuff you can use food coloring for that aren’t even food-related? Okay look at it this way: have you ever tried to use regular paint to do stuff, and halfway through it, your upper lip starts to itch. You don’t want to get paint in your mouth but you’re itching to scratch the lip. Crazy right? Now imagine you used food dye, which is safe for consumption because it’s normally used on food. How convenient! With food coloring, you can allow kids play around with as much paint as they want to without you freaking out. Here are some amazing things you can do with food coloring.
Plant Experiments
This is a simple demonstration of how water moves through plant roots. To do this you can use celery, white rose, white carnations or daises.
- Fill four cups with water
- Place about seven drops of food dye in three of the four cups.
- Place one flower in each of the cups.
- Observe the process over a 72-hour period and see what happens to the color of the flowers.
Color Mixing
It can be fun to watch colors mix. The process creates such a beautiful sight. To watch colors mix in milk,
- get a plastic plate with a rim
- add milk to cover the base of the plate and allow the milk to settle for five to ten minutes.
- Add one drop each of green, blue, and yellow food coloring in the center of the plate. Keep them close to each other without making contact.
- Touch the center of the milk with the tip of a cotton swab without stirring the colors and watch what happens.
- Place a drop of liquid soap on the clean end of the cotton swab and dip it in the milk again. Watch what happens this time.
- Experiment with changing the position of the cotton swab and using different liquids to hold the food coloring.
- Simultaneously put one drop of food coloring into a glass of very warm water and another in a glass of very hot water. Watch how quickly food coloring spreads through each glass of water.
- You can also do this in a bathtub or small pool although the colors will be much more diluted.
Sparkling Colors
Be creative with colors
- Mix 1 tablespoon of water, 1/4 teaspoon of food coloring and 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of food coloring and 1 tablespoon Epsom salt to 1 tablespoon of water.
- Dip a cotton string or pipe cleaner in the mixture leaving part of the string outside of the container.
- After 24 hours, remove the string and lay it flat to dry.
- The crystals will harden on the string as the water evaporates.
- Hang the string in the sun and watch it sparkle with colored light.
Make Water Colors
- Drop food coloring into ice cube trays to make red, blue and yellow ice cubes.
- Let them freeze till they are solidified.
- Fill four clear plastic cups halfway with warm water.
- Use these ice cubes to make “water color” paints; rub them on paper and when the water dries the color stays.
Crayons
- You will need some Glycerin soap, Food coloring, Ice cube tray, Essential oils (optional)
- Melt the glycerin in the microwave
- Add food coloring choice
- Pour the mixture into the ice cube tray.
- You can also add essential oils if you like.
- Freeze till the mixture becomes solid
- It takes about an hour to cool completely, so once cooled, pop them out of the trays, and voila! Crayons!
Frosted Mason Jars
- You will need some clear mason jars, Food coloring, School glue, Water, and Foam paint brush
- Thin the white glue with some water.
- Stir well, then add food coloring.
- Once your food coloring is mixed well into your glue, brush a layer of it all over your jar.
- Apply your glue/color mixture in a thin, even layer, trying to eliminate any brushstrokes.
- Let your jars dry overnight.
Dye Flowers
- What’s needed? White flowers, Glasses or jars, Water, Food coloring
- Fill your jars or glasses halfway with water.
- Drop in some food coloring until you get a nice, rich color.
- Take your flowers and break up the bunch into as many sections as possible.
- Shape the bottom of the stems as necessary for your jars.
- Try removing the leaves that are near the bottom to keep them from sitting in the water.
- Place your flowers into the jars and allow to sit until you achieve the color you desire.
- When the color is achieved, rinse the stems well and transfer to your vase.
Sugar Scrub
- What you’ll need: coconut oil, organic cane sugar, sea salt peppermint essential oil lavender essential oils green food coloring.
- Place coconut oil in a small pot and heat on low until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
- Start by adding 1½ cups sugar to the oil, salt, along with the peppermint and lavender oils and green food coloring.
- Mix until ingredients are well combined and the food coloring is evenly distributed. If mixture is too wet, add another ½ cup sugar until scrub is to desired consistency.
- Spoon scrub into air-tight containers (such as a mason jar) and decorate if desired
Dye Fabric
- What you’ll need: Water White or canvas fabric Vinegar Food coloring Pot
- Soak your fabric in warm water until it is completely wet.
- In a pot, add 4 cups of water, one cup of vinegar and one small bottle of food coloring (this depends on how light or dark you want your colors to turn out. The less food coloring, the lighter your fabric will turn out.
- Also, mix up your colors to get even more color options
- Mix it up and place it on the stove on high.
- Place your fabric in the pot and move it around to make sure it gets wet with the mixture.
- Put a lid on it and let it boil for 5 min.
- Carefully take your fabric out and rinse it under cold water.
- Hang to dry.
These are just some of the many interesting things you can do with food coloring. So have fun, add some more color to your life and get creative!