In a clear glass container, anything you put in it will become a beautiful arrangement. If you add layers of colored salt to it, you will get a timeless decoration that cannot be missing at home. Whether in your bathroom, the dining room, the entrance table or even as a decorative centerpiece for any event, colored salts are an old, foolproof trick that is very simple and inexpensive to do. Not only can the little ones at home try it, but even older people with zero manual skills will feel proud of the beautiful result obtained.
The two most popular and accessible ways to dye salt at home are with colored chalk or food coloring . Look through your supplies and choose the option that best suits you.
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How to dye salt with chalk
You should consider that the colors obtained will be the same as those of the chalks, that is, pastel shades of pink, yellow, green, orange or blue. This method is only for decorative purposes . It cannot be used in edible or bath salts. To begin, you must first know what you need:
- Refined salt, as needed
- Chalks of the desired colors
- Sheets of newspaper or a large, old piece of paper
- Containers to store your tinted chalks separately (clean and dry)
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Start by taking a sheet of newspaper, spreading it out on the table and placing the portion of salt you want to dye on it. Take a piece of chalk and rub it against the salt. The grains of salt will gradually erode the chalk and mix with this fine powder, acquiring its color. Continuously mix the salt from the edges with the dyed salt in the center.
You will need to grate the chalk over the salt until it reaches the desired shade, with the darkest possible shade being the original shade of the chalk. You decide when to stop. Once this process is complete, carefully fold the newspaper sheet trying to bring the powder to the center so that it can be easily poured into a storage container. It is now ready to use.
How to dye salt with edible coloring
This procedure is recommended for those who want to brighten up their table or bath salts and works perfectly with fine or coarse grain salts, Epsom salts, sea salts, whatever you have. It allows you to obtain shades from the lightest to the strongest of a color, depending on the amount of dye incorporated, so if you were looking to decorate with dark tones, this is the method to follow. You will need:
- Salt of your choice in the necessary quantity
- Edible coloring, preferably liquid, in the desired colors
- Plastic bags (one for each shade to be obtained)
- Clean and dry plates for each salt dyed separately
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Pour the amount of salt you want to dye into a plastic bag. Add three to four drops of food coloring on top of the salt in the bag. Seal the bag, trying to remove as much air as possible.
Shake the bag back and forth to spread the drops of dye among the salt granules. Use your fingers to massage the salt to ensure an even mixture of dye. Squish any large clumps to break them up . If you want the salt to be a darker shade, open the bag and add three to four additional drops of dye to the salt.
Repeat the mixing process by shaking and massaging the bag. Continue adding food coloring, three to four drops at a time, until the salt is the desired shade.
Spread the wet salt evenly over the cookie sheet. Place the tray of salt in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Let the tray sit overnight to dry. Carefully pour the dry salt into a decorative jar or other container with a lid. Seal the lid tightly.