Although most commercial fake blood is made from red food coloring, there are methods for using other materials to make the fake blood have a realistic red tint. While some food coloring substitutes aren't as popular, others may already be in the fridge or pantry. You have a wide variety of options for making fake blood, as well as methods for producing just the right color, consistency, and “goosebumps,” whether you're making fake blood to complement your Halloween costume or simply scaring your friends!
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Method 1 of 3: Using Kitchen and Household Ingredients to Make Fake Blood
Step 1. Mix beetroot or pomegranate juice with corn syrup and detergent
You can use pure beet or pomegranate juice instead of red food coloring to make fake blood. Mix corn syrup with laundry detergent, water, and beet or pomegranate juice in a ratio of 16:1:1:1. Stir the ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Add a little more brown syrup if you want to make the blood a more realistic color.
- You can buy pomegranate juice (100% pure) at the grocery store, or use the beet juice found in canned beetroot products. In addition, you can also use beetroot powder instead of beetroot juice.
- This blood is inedible and quite thick.
Step 2. Mix chocolate syrup, instant drink powder (cherry or strawberry flavor) and water
You can also make fake blood using instant drink powder. Mix one sachet of dark red instant drink powder (eg cherries or strawberries) with 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of chocolate syrup. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of water and mix all the ingredients. Adjust the mixture as desired and add more water if you want thinner blood, or chocolate syrup if you want darker blood.
- Chocolate syrup works to darken the blood so the color looks more realistic.
- This fake blood can and is safe to eat!
Step 3. Mix gelatin powder, instant drink powder, and flour
A mixture of gelatin powder, instant drink powder, flour, and water can also produce realistic blood. Heat 250 ml of water over medium heat in a small saucepan, then add 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of flour, teaspoon (1.2 grams) of gelatin powder with a deep red color (eg cherries or strawberries), and 1 sachet instant drink powder (cherry or grape flavor). Stir until all ingredients are dissolved.
Add a tablespoon of beetroot or pomegranate juice if desired for a more intense color
Step 4. Make fake blood from tomato paste and water
One of the easiest methods to make fake blood is to mix tomato paste with water. Use pasta and water in a 4:1 ratio, and stir the ingredients until they are evenly mixed to produce fake blood that is safe to eat.
- Add maple syrup (1 measure following the ratio described earlier) if you want a thicker, duller blood.
- You can also use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste. However, this material has a lighter color and is less realistic.
Method 2 of 3: Using Pigments to Make Fake Blood
Step 1. Mix red and blue paint with water
Take a medium-sized bowl, then add the washable red tempera paint and water in a 2:1 ratio. After that, add a little blue paint (about 1 teaspoon or 5 ml per 250 ml of red paint used). Stir the ingredients with a brush or spoon until the paint and water are mixed.
- Washable tempera paint is not edible, but will not stain clothes.
- Add a bit of blue to give the blood a darker and more realistic color.
- Stir the tempera paint to mix it with the water, instead of shaking it. Due to the chemical composition of the paint, shaking the ingredients can actually make the paint foam.
Step 2. Mix red ink with glue
Glue mixed with red ink can turn into thick and sticky fake blood. Pour the desired amount of regular liquid glue into a disposable bowl. Use as much blood glue as you need. Add red ink (you can buy it from art and hobby supply stores) until you're happy with the intensity of the blood color. If you want a darker blood color, add brown ink or brown syrup.
- You can also remove the ink tube from the red pen, cut it with a serrated knife, and pour the ink into the glue.
- Use glue and ink in a 3:2 ratio whenever possible.
- To make the blood color less light and more realistic, gradually add 1 teaspoon (15 grams) of cocoa powder. Cocoa powder makes the blood look darker so instead of a bright red, it will be a dark burgundy (burgundy) color.
- Corn syrup and cocoa powder produce a thicker blood than paint and water.
Step 3. Mix red and blue paint, maple syrup, and water
You can also make fake blood by mixing red paint with maple syrup and water. Take a disposable cup or bowl, then mix red poster or acrylic paint with maple syrup in equal proportions. After that, add a little blue paint (about 1 tablespoon or 5 ml per 120 ml of red paint). Gradually add the water using a teaspoon, then stir the ingredients until you get the consistency you want.
If you want very thick blood, you don't need to add water
Method 3 of 3: Using Raspberry Juice to Make Fake Blood
Step 1. Melt the raspberries using a blender
You can also make homemade red dye using raspberries and mix it with a thickening agent to make fake blood. Start by putting 250 grams of fresh or frozen raspberries in a blender, then puree until the raspberries are melted or runny.
This process takes about 15-20 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of water if the mixture seems too thick
Step 2. Strain the mashed raspberries
Once the raspberries are mashed, strain by placing a fine sieve over the bowl, then pour the raspberry juice into the bowl through the sieve.
- The sieve will retain the seeds and lumps of raspberry flesh so that only the juice or juice remains in the bowl. With the above-mentioned dosage, you can get around 120 ml of raspberry juice.
- Remove any raspberries stuck in the sieve or reuse them for baking if you prefer.
Step 3. Combine corn starch and water in a separate bowl
In a medium-sized bowl, mix 5 tablespoons (75 grams) of cornstarch with 80 ml of warm water. Use a spoon to quickly stir the ingredients together until they form a paste.
Step 4. Pour the corn syrup into the mixture
Take 150 ml of corn syrup and pour it into a bowl of corn starch paste. Use a spoon to mix the syrup with the paste.
Step 5. Add raspberry syrup or juice
Add about 4 teaspoons (60 ml) of the juice to the cornstarch mixture and stir to even out the color. Add more juice if the color of the blood is still not thick.
You may need to add a few more tablespoons of raspberry juice, depending on how dark you want the blood to be
Step 6. Add 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of cocoa powder
After adding the raspberry juice, you will get fake blood with a red (almost pink) consistency. To create a more realistic color, add about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of cocoa powder. Cocoa powder can darken the blood color to a deep red and produce a more realistic hue.
Step 7. Done
Tips
- There is no exact measure or recipe for making fake blood. You can adjust the recipe to make the blood thicker or thinner, or add ingredients such as chocolate syrup or blue or brown paint to make fake blood a more realistic color.
- If you find a fake blood recipe you want to use online, but it requires red food coloring, replace the food coloring with beetroot, raspberry, or pomegranate juice.
