Make your own homemade colored sand with this super easy DIY tutorial! Great for kid’s art projects!
Not too long ago, we needed some colored sand for an art project. So, we decided to try making our own! Turns out it is super easy to make! I am providing the DIY tutorial in case you would like to make your own colored sand as well!
Supplies:
- bowls (one for each color you want to make)
- decorative sand (I found some in the Dollar Tree craft section.)
- water
- food coloring
- aluminum foil
- storage containers (or plastic baggies)
Directions:
1) Pour sand into the bowls.
2) Add enough water to just barely cover the sand.
3) Add food coloring. The more you add, the darker the color.
4) Stir and let the mixture sit for an hour or two.
5) Carefully strain out the excess water and scoop the remaining pasty mixture onto aluminum foil. Use a separate piece of aluminum for each color and then place them on a baking sheet.
6) Bake at 200 degrees until the sand is dry.
7) Once the sand is dry, allow it to cool and then store it in plastic baggies or containers until you are ready to make a masterpiece with your new homemade colored sand!
Making colored sand is super easy and using it for art projects is lots of fun! Once your sand is ready, grab some glue and “paint” the glue onto your paper. Then begin sprinkling the sand over the glue. Allow to dry and enjoy your artwork!

Want to make colored rice? I have a tutorial for that too!
This post was originally published on October 13, 2011.