How to Dye Wood for a Bird Toy
If you are like many pet bird owners, you may have decided to build your own wooden bird toys. Cutting up a few pieces of wood and purchasing some sisal rope to make your own bird toy will cost considerably less than purchasing a bird toy from a pet store. You can dye the wood yourself, making brightly colored blocks that birds love to chew.
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Things You'll Need
- USDA-approved food dye colors
- Wood blocks
- Large bowls
- Water
- Newspaper or old table covering
- Latex gloves
Instructions
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Choose a USDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved food dye. These dyes can be found in supermarkets, craft stores that sell baking supplies and online.
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Cover your workspace with newspaper or an old table covering. Making bird toys can be a fun but messy job. Protect the area that you are working in from permanent staining.
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Dilute the food dye in a large bowl of warm water. The ratio of water to food dye is dependent on the intensity of the color you are looking for. It may take some experimenting before you come up with the color that you want. Start by adding just a few drops of food coloring to the water and stirring with a spoon. Add a few more drops of food coloring, if necessary.
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Dip the wood in the bowl of diluted food dye and let it sit for several minutes. Rotate the woods with your hands to make sure all sides are covered with the dye. Wear latex gloves to protect your hands from staining.
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Keep the wood in the dye solution until it reaches the desired color intensity for your bird toys. The longer you allow the dye to soak into the wood, the brighter the wood will be. Remove the wood from the food dye solution when you are satisfied with the color and lay it on a white paper towel to dry.
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Dip the brush in the diluted food dye and use it to color the wood. Allow the wood to dry on a white paper towel when you are finished.
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Tips & Warnings
Unsweetened Kool-Aid and Jello are also capable of dying wood and are safe for birds to ingest. However, the colors do not develop as brightly on the wood as the food dye.
Mix-up a few batches of diluted food dye so that you can color several pieces of wood at the same time.
Dyes that are not considered safe for humans should not be used to color bird toys for birds.
