how to easy color water

How to Color Water.

You can color water for all sorts of purposes, such as creating centerpieces or other decorations, making a fun drink, or setting up a water playstation for your kids. There are a wide range of synthetic, natural, or even homemade options you can turn to. On the other hand, if you’re trying to color a picture of water, you can create realistic-looking waves or droplets by adding highlights and shadows.



Dyeing Water with Synthetic Coloring.



Add a couple of drops of food coloring, and stir to mix. Food coloring comes in a multitude of different colors, and can be found at grocery stores and discount stores. Adding a little bit of salt to the water first can prevent the food coloring from sinking to the bottom.

Water-based liquid food coloring is easiest to find, but it produces more diluted colors. Liquid gel food coloring is a little more concentrated, and will make the final product more vibrant.

If you’re coloring water for a drink, don’t add too much food coloring. Some food dyes, especially red colors, can have a bad flavor if you use too much of them.

If you’re planning on putting flowers in your food coloring-dyed water, wait until the last minute to add them. Food coloring can start changing the flowers’ color within a couple of hours.





Use gel icing for brighter, more concentrated color. A little bit goes a long way, so use a toothpick to grab a small amount of gel and swirl it around in the water. Add more if necessary until you achieve the color you’re looking for. Gel icing or paste dye can be found in grocery or cooking stores.





Add powdered food dye for an extra dark color. Pick up a tiny bit of powder with a spoon and drop it in your water slowly. Blend in more dye, a little at a time, until you get the deep color you’re looking for.

Alternately, you can mix the powder with a couple of drops of clear alcohol to create a liquid dye, which can then be added dropwise to your water.



Color water with a highlighter to make water that glows. While wearing gloves, pop off the back of a highlighter and then remove the ink-soaked felt tube inside. Soak the tube in hot water for 4-6 hours, and then squeeze it into the water to get all the last bits of ink out. The water will look fluorescent on its own, and will glow under a blacklight!

Do not use this method if you want to drink the water or if your skin will be coming into contact with the water, as the highlighter ink might be toxic.







Coloring Water with Natural Dyes.





Add a few drops of natural food coloring for a softer look. These dyes are usually made from plants, and can be found in specialty stores or online. Their color is usually not as bright, so use these for a more subtle, understated option or for water that you want to drink or have your kids play with.

Make your own natural liquid food dye from fruits or vegetables. Find a fruit or vegetable that matches the color you’re looking for and juice it in a juicer or puree it in a blender. Strain the liquid, and then reduce it by heating it until most of the water is evaporated, which will leave you with a concentrated color. Add your homemade dye to water a few drops at a time until you get the hue you’re looking for.

Strawberries or raspberries produce different shades of pink.

Tomatoes can give you a nice red color.

Leafy greens like spinach can be used to color water green.

Pureeing red cabbage and then adding a little bit of baking soda produces a blue color.

Blueberries, despite their name, can be used to make purple coloring.





Color water with natural powdered food coloring. Buy a powdered fruit or vegetable, or use spices or drink mixes. Mix the powder directly into the liquid, or steep the powder by wrapping it in a coffee filter and letting it soak in warm water for a couple of hours until you get the color you’re looking for.

Mix paprika into water to color it orange.

Steep saffron or turmeric to get yellow water.

Stir matcha or other powdered green tea into water to turn it green. You can also try steeping green tea leaves in warm water.

Add ground coffee or cocoa powder to water, or steep a tea bag in warm water, to color it brown.

Combine activated charcoal powder and water to get a black solution.