Do you drink Kool-Aid? Do your kids?
I don’t drink it, however I do craft with it.
Kool-Aid as a craft supply? Yes!
You can use Kool-Aid as a dye on unfinished wood! It works like a charm! (And smells good too!)
I purchased this unfinished wood treasure chest box from the craft store to dye with Kool-Aid:
I wanted the box to be a rich purple color, so I emptied 5 packets of Kool-Aid unsweetened drink mix (Grape) into a glass jar. I slowly added some of the ready-to-drink Kool-Aid (Grape) and stirred everything up until I was happy with the color.
Tip: For the purple color, the liquid will look almost black. This is ok, as it will dry to a wonderful purple shade.
Using a small foam brush and wearing rubber gloves, I simply “painted” on the Kool-Aid one section at a time.
I gave the box two quick coats of the Kool-Aid, both inside and out, then let it dry overnight on some white paper towels and a garbage bag, just in case any of the color leaked out.
Tip: For the purple color, the box ended up looking almost black while wet. Again, don’t be alarmed as it will dry to a much prettier shade!
Here’s a shot of the box drying, so you can see what I mean:
The next day, I sprayed the inside and outside of the box with a matte-finish acrylic sealer and let it dry. I chose to do this to make sure none of the color would come off on my hands. Next I painted the box trim and hardware with craft paint in a matching shade of purple, and used purple glitter glue to give the box some sparkle.
And that’s all there is to it!
I love how rich and weathered the wood looks!
So a simple trip to Walmart prepared me for spur-of-the-moment Summer get-togethers plus gave me a fun and easy craft idea all with the same product: Kool-Aid!
One of the jingles I can still sing to this day is the song the Kool-Aid Man sang in those iconic TV commercials from my childhood:
I’ve been singing it all day!
Happy crafting!
I love how this gives it a pretty purple tinted weathered look! Do pretty and unique
Me too Carissa – the weathered look is a really nice effect! Thanks!
This is brilliant! So unique!
Thanks Amy! 🙂
Fun! I have dyed wool and silk with Kool Aid before, but never thought to use it on wood. Great idea!
I’ve seen pictures of the pretty dyed colors of wool and silk with Kool-Aid – love how they always turn out! Thanks Heidi!
Get out! Kool-Aid?! Who’da thunk it. So so cool!
I know, right? You’ve gotta try this Carol! 🙂
The hubby is a woodworker in his free time so we have a garage full of wood. Now I need to go scout some out for me to dye with Kool-Aid!
Lucky you that your hubs is a woodworker, Jen! That’s fantastic! Loved your upcycled silverware caddy – very creative!
What a creative idea, love it!
Thanks Britni! 🙂
It’s funny because when I think of Kool-Aid I always think red or orange…I always forget about purple! I LOVE it! Great idea! 🙂
– Brooke –
Same here Brooke: I was originally thinking of a bright color, until I spotted the Grape Kool-Aid and decided to go for it! 🙂
That is crazy! I had no idea you could do that!
I see these boxes at the craft store all the time and they are so affordable. I am always wondering how I can easily dress them up for gifts or decor, this is a great idea. (And I bet it smells great too!)
Hello! I featured your wood box in my monthly blog series, Get Your Color On!. Each month I select a color, provide tips on how to decorate with it, and feature other bloggers with their projects that relate to this color.
This month’s post is all about purple, so your project was perfect! Feel free to grab a featured button and check out my post at Get Your Color On! Purple. Thanks for sharing your wonderful creativity!