Dye Sand
Dying sand is the process of permanently coloring regular sand into various colors of your choosing. This project can be time consuming, but is fairly simple and children can participate as well. Whether you want colored sand for your own sand art project or you would like to use it for other home décor ideas, follow these steps to dye sand yourself.
Contents
Steps
Injecting Some Color
- Collect sand. Either purchase sand at your local craft or hardware store, or gather some from a nearby beach.
- If collecting sand from a beach, be wary of hazardous materials and waste. Though you will later sift the sand, try to pick out noticeable things like paper or large pebbles.
- Be very careful when collecting sand from a beach. Use rubber gloves as there may be broken glass or other hazardous materials.
- Store gathered sand in tightly sealed plastic bags. Hold the bags upside down and see if any sand leaks out. This will help you reduce unwanted sand in your car and house.
- Sift the sand. Store-bought sand will be smooth and even, but beach sand often has rocks that need to be separated from the sand grains.
- Place a bucket on the ground and put a sifter over top. This sifter could be an old sifter from the kitchen or fine netting, like a window screen, that is secured over the bucket using duct tape. If you are using a metal sifter from the kitchen, do not use it again for food related preparation.
- Pour the collected sand onto the mesh of the sifter or screen. Shake the screen lightly so the sand will filter through into the bucket. You may need to occasionally clear the mesh of any stones, shells, or other debris. Continue this process until all the sand has been sifted.
- Divide the sand into separate containers. You can use plastic containers with lids or plastic storage bags.
- Storage bags are best because they will require less clean up and will reduce any additional mess caused during the stirring process.
- Baking dishes and bowls are also acceptable containers. Be sure to thoroughly scrub any kitchen ware afterwards, especially if dying gathered sand. You want to avoid leaving behind any sand or potentially hazardous materials in the sand.
- Add water to the sand. This will help evenly distribute the dye when you apply it later.
- Aim for a damp consistency and avoid soaking or submerging the sand completely. Don't worry if you add too much water; this will simply making the drying process longer.
- Pour dye onto sand. Any kind of dye will work for this project, but fabric dye seems to produce the most vibrant dyed sand.
- Food coloring is also acceptable for dying sand.
- You may need to add dye several times until it gets to the desired shade you like. The sand will dry lighter so do not worry if the dye is very dark.
- Dry tempera paint powder is a nice additive that helps create bright colors. Tempera powder can be purchased in most arts and crafts stores.
- Be cautious while handling dye as it can stain skin, clothing, and furniture.
- Mix the dye and sand together thoroughly. This process will vary depending on what container you have used to separate sand.
- If you are using a container with a lid, you will need a plastic spoon that you can throw away after you finish the project. Scrape the sides of the container to make sure you color everything. Seal the container and set the wet sand to the side to soak up the dye for at least an hour.
- For a storage bag, simply seal the bag tightly and massage the sand until the color is consistent throughout. Set the bag aside for at least an hour so the sand can soak up the dye.
- Allow your sand to dry. Pour out any excess water first, then spread your damp sand on a plate or flat surface.
- Leave the sand to dry, preferably in a sunny place, for a few hours. You may wish to put paper towels over the plate before putting the sand down to help soak up any excess dye.
- You can also bake the sand to help speed up the drying process and further infuse the colors. Simply place the sand in a baking pan and bake on {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} for 15 minutes. Make sure you pull the sand out of the oven while it is still damp and let it dry naturally overnight; sand that has been baked completely dry can have faded and less vibrant colors.
- Package the dry sand. Once your dyed sand has completely dried, store it in dry plastic containers with easily sealed lids.
- For safety purposes, store sealed sand outside of the kitchen. You don't want to accidentally mistake it for a spice or cooking powder.
- Make sure you reseal the lids tightly after each sand art project. This will keep unwanted materials from ruining the color as well as prevent accidental spills inside the house.
Using Sand in Art Projects
- Make a sand drawing. Use the colored sand you have just made to add some glitter and pizzazz to hand-drawn pictures.
- Simply use a pencil to draw a design on plain white paper (a flower, for example). Once finished, place the paper on a try to contain the sand you will pour on later. Use a cotton swab to apply Elmer's glue to the areas you will be coloring in with sand. Carefully pour the different colors of sand onto the glued areas. Let the sand settle, then hold it over a plate to collect loose sand.
- For the greatest effect, draw something with many colors and with contrasting colors (for example, a rainbow). This will allow you to utilize a lot of your sand colors and will produce a vibrant, lively picture.
- Craft a colored sand vase. Either decorate the outside of a flower vase with colored sand or showcase the sand itself in its own vase.
- To spice up a flower vase, imitate the way you created a sand drawing. Set the vase on some newspaper. Pour 1/4 cup of tacky glue into a plastic cup and dilute it with a teaspoon of water. Use a paintbrush to apply the glue to the outside of the vase. Sprinkle spoonfuls of colored sand over the glued surface, rotating the vase to spread the sand evenly. Let the vase dry for a few hours, then place flowers inside.
- Layering sand in its own vase is also a nice house decoration. This is very easy: just pour one color of sand into a vase or clear jar and form a layer. Don't worry about whether this layer is even or straight; making it wavy and uneven adds personality to the vase and gives it a more natural look. Pour a different color of sand and form another layer. For the best contrast, avoid layering colors that look similar to each other, like purple and red. Continue this process until you reach the top of the vase. To give your vase a beach-like vibe, add some rocks and shells to the layers of sand.
- Create a sand candle. This is a nice twist on the layered sand vase and is great for adding uniqueness to plain white candles.
- Layer the colored sand one layer and color at a time, similar to how you would create a layered vase. Instead of filling the vase to the top with sand, stop a little past half-way. Place a candle into the middle of the jar and burrow it into the sand slightly so that it is nicely supported. Now when you light the candle, its light will reflect off the sand and create a warm, inviting glow.
Tips
- If the colored sand dries and it is still not the shade you like, add more water and dye and repeat the drying process.
- To mold the dyed sand into shapes, use the sand while it is still damp so that it will dry into the desired shape.
- Collecting your own sand will save you money from having to buy it from the store but it will be more time consuming since it will need to be sifted.
- To dry the sand faster, make sure to put it in the sun and spread it out on a plate/tray.
Things You'll Need
- 2 Buckets
- Sand
- Sifter
- Window screen
- Duct tape
- Water
- Assorted dyes
- Containers with lids
- Storage bags
- Spoons
- Paper plates
- Paper towel
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