Activity - Natural dye for homemade Play Dough

Photo from FreePeople

In the previous post we learned how to make homemade Play Dough, completely non-toxic, but colored with food coloring. In this post we will learn how to color the Play Dough using plants and vegetables, thus making it completely natural. 
Replace the 4 cups of water of the normal mix of Play Dough with colored liquid obtained from the recipes below. Experiment by substituting 1 to 4 glasses of water with the dye, for a more or less vivid color and get the shade of color you like. But when you add the powder, use the normal recipe of Play Dough, adding 1-3 teaspoons of spice and, if the mixture becomes too hard, add another bit of water. 
For the white, let the dough natural.

Photo from ProbablyActually

        Yellow Color                                                                                       

For the yellow semply add a teaspoon of turmeric powder, cumin or saffron to the normal mixture of Play Dough.
Lemon and orange: for a pale yellow, boil the skins for 15 minutes (until liquid has reduced to about half) with a cup of water. Once cooled pour through sieve then follow Play Dough.
Carrots:  boil the top of carrots for 15 minutes (until liquid has reduced to about half) with a cup of water. Once cooled pour through sieve then follow Play Dough.
Chamomile o Green Tes:  prepare chamomile or green tea, and once cooled add it to Dido.

        Orange Color                                                                                    

Blond onions: boil the onion peels, and you will get a dark yellow.  Once cooled pour through sieve then follow Play Dough.
Paprika or chili: add a teaspoon on the normal recipe of Play Dough.
Carrots: boil carrots 20 minutes (until liquid has reduced to about half) with a cup of water. Once cooled pour through sieve then follow Play Dough.

        Red Color                                                                                            

Raspberries, strawberries, cherries: boil for about 20 minutes a handful of strawberries or raspberries in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. You can remove the seeds of the fruit by passing it through a sieve and then add it to the recipe of Play Dough you find here.

Photo from Minieco.co.uk

Red onion: boil a large quantity of skins of red onions for 15-20 minutes and you'll get a dark red. Once cooled pour through sieve then follow Play Dough.
Beetroot: Cut a beetroot in 6-8 pieces and place them in a saucepan with water. Boil until they are tender. Remove beets and once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough
Pomegranate: wringing some beans of a pomegranate, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.

       Pink Color                                                                                             

Red grape: wringing some beans of red grape, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.
Cranberries or blueberries:  boil for about 20 minutes a handful of cranberries or blueberries in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. You can remove the seeds of the fruit by passing it through a sieve and then add it to the recipe of Play Dough you find here.
Rose: use the petals of  6-8 red roses. Boil them for about 20 minutes in a saucepan with a glass of water. Once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.

       Violet Color                                                                                           .

Blackberries: boil for about 20 minutes a handful of blackberries in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. You can remove the seeds of the fruit by passing it through a sieve and then add it to the recipe of Play Dough.
Red cabbage: boil for about 20 minutes a bit of red cabbage in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.
Violets: boil for about 10 minutes a bit of red cabbage in a saucepan with a glass of water. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.

       Green Color                                                                                           

Spinach or beetroots: boil for about 20 minutes a bit of spinach or beetroots in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.

       Blue Color                                                                                             

Cabbage: boil for about 20 minutes a bit of cabbage in a saucepan with a cup of water. Once the liquid has reduced by half, remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, pass it through a sieve and then add it to Play Dough.

       Brown Color                                                                                         

Cacao or coffee: add a teaspoon on the normal recipe of Play Dough.Black Tea:  prepare black tea, and once cooled add it to Dido.

       Black Color                                                                                           

Powdered charcoal: add a teaspoon on the normal recipe of Play Dough (you can buy it in a pharmacy).

You can also use these dyes to prepare your sweets or whatever that comes to your mind.
You can save the dyes prepared by adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar and stored in a dark place.

Special thanks to Kate (minieco.co.uk), which allowed me to use her wonderful photos and to draw some inspiration from her blog. Thank you!!