How to Color Cotton Balls

Cotton balls make great craft supplies---they can be used to make ghosts, lambs, clouds and other white creations. Just think of what you could create if cotton balls came in all colors of the rainbow. As it happens they do, but there's no need to run out and purchase expensive predyed cotton balls. You can color your own cotton balls at home for just a few pennies, providing colorful crafting supplies for you and your kids.

Things You'll Need

• Food coloring
• Paper cups
• Swizzle stick or plastic spoon
• Newspaper or paper towels

Instructions

1. Cut the tops off your paper cups---you want them to be about 3 inches high.

2. Set out a separate cup for each color dye you intend to produce.

3. Fill each cup to within 1 inch of the cut-off rim.

4. Drip three drops of food coloring into each cup.

5. Mix the food coloring-water mixture with a swizzle stick, a tongue depressor or a plastic spoon. The cotton balls you dye will turn the same color as the water is, so if you want them to be darker, add another drop or two of food coloring and stir again. Repeat until you have the color you want.

6. Pinch a cotton ball carefully between your thumb and forefinger, then dip it into the desired color of food dye-water mixture, swirl it briefly, then pull it out. Don't try to squeeze the cotton ball dry.

7. Lay the cotton balls out to dry on several layers of newspaper or paper towels.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want paler pastel colors for your cotton balls, use fewer drops of food coloring. You can mix different colors of food coloring to create new shades of dye for your cotton balls.

References

• Rootsweb: Easter Crafts