How to Change the Color of White Carnations

Change the color of this white carnation with food coloring.

Carnations are available from florists in a variety of bright colors. Creating these custom-colored carnations at home is a simple process that takes less than a day. Coloring your own carnations gives you access to more color variety than what you can purchase. Dye white carnations to match a celebration theme, or dye carnations with children as a science project studying how flowers use their stems to drink water. Experiment with different colors until you find your favorite.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic cups
• Food coloring
• Spoon
• White carnations
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Fill the plastic cups with water. Use one cup for each color of carnation you want to make.

2. Place food coloring into the water one drop at a time until you reach the desired color intensity. The more food coloring you add, the brighter the colored carnation will be.

3. Cut off the bottom of the carnation stem an angle. Hold the stem underwater while cutting to avoid air getting into the stem and inhibiting water absorption.

4. Place the carnation in the dye cup. Let it sit for up to 24 hours. As the flower draws water up the stem, the petals will change color to reflect that of the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Split the ends of a carnation stem and place one end in one color of water and the other in a different color to create bi-color carnations.

References

• Steve Spangler Science