Colored sand can be used in a variety of sand art projects. Although it can be purchased at a craft supply store, you can easily make your own. In addition, you can also save costs if you make it yourself. Most importantly, you can produce sand in colors not found in shops!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Liquid Food Coloring
Step 1. Prepare light colored sand
You can buy sand at hardware stores, craft supply stores, and at aquarium supply stores. If you already have sand, you can use it as long as the color is light enough. Try using the lightest color sand you can find. White sand can be the best choice because the paint color can appear more clearly.
You can use this method to color the sand on the beach and build a colorful sandcastle
Step 2. Divide the sand into a sealed plastic bag
You will need one bag for each color you want to make. Leave enough room in the bag so you can shake the sand. The amount of sand that is included depends on your wishes. Sand as much as 100 to 400 grams is enough.
Try moistening the sand with water. This way, it will be easier for you to mix the food coloring with the sand
Step 3. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bag
Try adding 3-4 drops of food coloring for 100 grams of sand. If you use 400 grams of sand, 12-16 drops of dye is enough.
- You can also use liquid watercolors, but it may take more than a few drops. Liquid watercolors are available in bottles and are usually pre-dissolved with water.
- Don't use liquid watercolors if you want to color the sand directly on the beach. Food coloring is safe for animals, but liquid watercolor is not.
Step 4. Close the bag tightly, then shake and squeeze the bag to mix the sand with the dye
Close the bag seal tightly first. After that, shake the bag to spread the food coloring. You can also squeeze and squeeze the bag carefully. Keep mixing until the color of the sand looks even.
Add more food coloring if the sand is still too light. Keep in mind that when dry, the color of the sand will appear lighter
Step 5. Transfer the sand to a flat pan
Make sure you use a clean baking sheet for each color. Spread the sand on the baking sheet in as thin a layer as possible. If you don't have enough baking sheets to work with, you can use a flat tray or plate.
Step 6. Let the sand dry overnight
If you don't want to wait too long, you can dry the sand in an oven preheated to 98°C for 5 to 10 minutes. When the sand is almost dry, remove it from the oven and let it air out for a few hours.
- Don't let the sand dry completely in the oven. Otherwise, the color will fade.
- Do not heat sand colored with liquid watercolor in the oven.
Step 7. Use the colored sand that has been created
Fill a flower vase with sand to create a pretty layered design. Draw a picture on a piece of paper using glue, then sprinkle colored sand on top. However, take care not to get the sand wet. Even if the sand has been stained with food coloring, there is a chance that the dye may run off and dirty your hands if the sand is damp/wet.
Do not use sand for the aquarium, as the color may bleed and contaminate the water
Method 2 of 3: Using Paint Powder or Colored Chalk
Step 1. Purchase a light colored sandbag
White sand can be a better choice because later on, the colors can appear more vivid. You can get sand (in bags) at craft supply stores, hardware stores, and even aquarium supply stores.
This method is not safe to use to color sand directly on the beach. Paint and chalk contain ingredients that are harmful to the aquatic ecosystem
Step 2. Put 5 tablespoons (120 grams) of sand in a sealed bag
This amount of sand is enough for one color. If you want to make more colors, prepare more bags to fill with more sand. You can also put sand in a cup or bowl.
Step 3. Moisten the sand with water if desired
You don't have to, but many people find powdered paint to soak into the sand better when the sand is moistened. The easiest way to moisten sand is to spray it with a spray bottle, but you can also add a small spoonful of water directly to the sand.
Step 4. Add 1 tablespoon of tempera paint powder to the sand
You can add more paint later if you want, but start with a tablespoon first. You can get powder paint at art or craft supply stores. Just use dry tempera paint powder.
You can also use plain chalk or pastel chalk (not oil). Scrape the chalk first using a craft knife, food grater, or sandpaper
Step 5. Close the seal of the plastic bag and shake the bag to spread the paint powder evenly
If necessary, squeeze or squeeze the bag to mix the powdered paint with the sand. If you want to mix sand in a bowl, simply stir the sand and paint powder with a fork or spoon.
Step 6. Transfer and spread the colored sand onto a flat baking sheet to dry
Open the plastic bag and pour the sand into a flat pan or tray. Let the sand sit for a few hours to dry. If you apply it too quickly (while the sand is still wet), the powder can run off and dirty your hands.
- If you are making several colored sands, use a different tray or pan for each color.
- If you don't moisten the sand with water, you don't have to dry it. The sand is ready to play!
Step 7. Play with the colored sand that has been made
Use sand to create beautiful sand art. Fill a vase with sand, or sprinkle some sand on a sketch made with glue.
Make sure the sand doesn't get wet. Otherwise, the color may smudge and dirty your hands
Method 3 of 3: Creating Fake Colored Sand
Step 1. Purchase a packet of Epsom salt
This type of salt can be purchased at pharmacies or drug stores. Usually, Epsom salt is added to bath water to relieve muscle pain. Even though it contains the word “salt”, this product is not edible. Due to its light white color, the added food coloring will produce a color that looks better than the color in real sand.
- You can also use regular table salt.
- If you want to make edible colored sand, use white granulated sugar.
Step 2. Divide the salt into several sealed bags
The number of bags needed will depend on the number of colors you want to make. You will need one bag for each color. Do not fill the bag with more than half the volume of the bag. You will need additional space for the salt to be shaken.
Step 3. Add 5-10 drops of liquid food coloring to each bag
For small amounts of sugar, you only need 5 drops. Meanwhile, for a larger volume of sand, you need to add a maximum of 10 drops of dye. Don't worry if the dye doesn't seem enough to color the sand because you can still add more dye later!
Step 4. Close the bag tightly, then shake it
Make sure the bag is tightly closed first. After that, shake the bag to mix the food coloring with the salt. You can also squeeze the bag to spread the food coloring evenly.
Step 5. Add more food coloring if desired
If the salt is not bright enough, open the bag and add a few more drops of food coloring. Close the bag tightly and shake again. Repeat this step until you get the color you want.
Step 6. Open the bag and let the salt dry
The length of time it takes depends on how dry or humid the air is in your home. Usually, drying is done overnight. You can speed up the drying process by spreading the salt on a flat baking sheet or tray. Make sure you use separate pans/trays for each color.
Step 7. Play with the prepared sand, but make sure the sand doesn't get wet
When wet, the sand will melt! You can use it to fill a vase with layers of color. You can also use it to make sand art. For example, you could draw a picture on a piece of paper using regular glue, then sprinkle color sand on top to create a sand painting.
You can also use (edible) sugar sand to decorate cakes, cupcakes, or even a tropical themed gingerbread house
Tips
- Colored sand made from powdered paint or chalk will stay bright for a long time. Meanwhile, the color in colored sand made from food coloring will fade or fade over time.
- You can mix food coloring (or paint powder/lime powder) to create new colors.
- Add a fine gloss powder to the sand for an added shine!
- Use a smaller amount of dye first than desired. To get a darker color, you can always add more dye.
- If you use liquid food coloring, keep in mind that the color of the sand (including salt or sugar) will appear lighter after the sand dries.
- You can use real sand from the beach, but make sure you sift it first to remove any large shells, rocks, or twigs.
- Store plastic in a sealed jar or plastic bag when not in use to prevent sand from spilling out.
