Tuesday, July 8, 2008

How to Color Sand



Your trip to the beach was a blast and you picked up some sand while you were there. What can you do with it? Color it, that’s what! Then you can use it for any craft you want and it’ll be extra special, because it’s a souvenir.

Supply list:

Fine sand
Food coloring
Water
Paper towels
Paper cups
Plastic spoons

Neat tip:

For easy cleanup, spread newspaper on the surface you’ll be working on. When you’re done, you can just fold up the newspaper and throw it out.


Here’s what you do:


Fill paper cups half full with sand.

Add enough water to cover sand.

Add food coloring. (It may take quite a bit of food coloring, depending on the shade you want. Start with a little and then add more until you get the color you want.)

Stir with a plastic spoon.

Wait for 30 minutes. It takes awhile to color the sand. Be patient!

Drain off water.

Put paper towels over the newspaper and then spread out paper towels on top of the newspaper.

Spread out the sand and allow it to dry completely.

What can you use it for?

You can use your sand for lots of different crafts. Try these:

You can glue wiggly eyes to seashells and lay them on top of the colored sand.
You can dye the sand different colors and layer them in a baby food jar.
You can put some of your sand in the bottom of a baby food jar, add water and blue food coloring and drop in a seashell. Now you have your own ocean in a jar!

7 comments:

Dorit Sasson said...

Hi, Lisa,

OOoo! Colored sands! Now this sounds like a fun craft project for my son.

I'm keeping this in mind.

Thanks,Dorit
http://newteacherresourcecenter.blogspot.com/

LISA HOLDREN said...

Hi Lisa,

We used to go to the beach at least once a week when the kids were young. Bringing home sand to color got to be a joke because we wondered if there would be any left by fall.

We stuck citronella candles in wide heavy see through containers and put them on the patio table at dinner time. I still have one of them.

I like your style. I'd like to see a cleared picture of you. You seem like someone I'd have fun with. I want to recognize you if I walk past you on the street!

Oh, I like to read your posts, so I commented today on yesterday's. Sorry for the delay.

Best,
the other Lisa

Judy said...

Hey Lisa,
What a great idea. My daughter used to make sand candles when she was a little older - we used empty baby food jars. They would put layers of colors on top of each other.

Fun thing to do at the beach - wish I had one near me!

Take care,
Judy
http://www.localfoodconnections.com

Carma Dutra said...

Lisa what a great idea. I have never colored sand before. This is something my grandkids would love.

Carma
http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com

Theresa Schultz said...

Hi Lisa,

I wish I'd had access to your blog when my kids were younger!

Theresa
Stress-FreeParent.blogspot.com

Dorothy Massey said...

I always wondered how sand was coloured. Thanks for informing me. Loved the practical ideas of what to do with the sand once you'd coloured it. I'll try this activity with my son over the summer hols. Dorothy
www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com

T. Forehand said...

Lisa, your blog is great. It has good ideas, simple and fun, and the conversational style will appeal to your reader. Your messages will last for the reader and can be read again and again.

Warmly,'
Terri
http://heartfeltwords4kids.blogspot.com