This DIY color powder post contains affiliate links.
I shared the active and colorful color fight party we had for my twins’ birthday and now I want to show you how to make the DIY color powder that we used for the color fight! This DIY version of color powder will save you lots of money over the storebought holi powder variety and you’ll get a bold, colorful powder that’s also nontoxic. It’s the perfect way to throw a color party, host a neighborhood color run, and it can even be used for a really clever gender reveal!
Ingredients for DIY Color Powder
To make this DIY color powder, all you need is cornstarch {lots of it!} and food coloring.
Color paste or gel coloring, like the Wilton brand, works the best and will give you a strong, bold color.
You can also use liquid food coloring but you’ll end up with muted, pale colors and that isn’t nearly as fun {unless you want pastel colors for a gender reveal}.
You’ll need large pans to mix the color powder. Foil pans from the dollar store are cheap and easy. I found them in sets of two so each pan was only fifty cents.
Another purchase I would highly recommend? Disposable plastic gloves to protect your hands from the color. The gloves make clean up a lot easier and will keep you from having stained hands for a week!
How to Make DIY Color Powder
In the foil pan, mix together 2 cups of corn starch and 1 cup of water.
Mix together, using your hands as needed. The mixture is actually difficult to mix and I found it easier to get right in there with gloved hands and squeeze it together instead of trying to use utensils to stir it.
Once you’ve got it mixed fairly well, add one full 1 ounce container of coloring paste and, with gloved hands, mix until the color is blended throughout.
Repeat this process for each color using new gloves and a new foil pan each time.
If you want a bigger batch of each color, double the corn starch and water. To save money, you don’t need to double the coloring. You’ll still get quite a bold color.
Place the pans in a dry location {a garage works well} and let them dry out for a couple of days {minimum}.
Over the drying days, I regularly used a fork to stir and break up the powder a bit, letting it really have a chance to dry out completely. If you don’t stir it up routinely, you may end up with wet spots that will mold.
When the powder has dried completely, blend it, one color at a time, in a food processor to remove all of the chunks and create a fine powder …
… then place it in large mason jars or another airtight style container.
I used a pour spout lid on each mason jar to make refills easier during the party but you could also pour straight out of the jar or scoop it out as needed.
This simple recipe makes a bold-colored powder … and you don’t have to worry if the participants get a bit in their mouths!
Not up for making your own DIY color powder? Order holi powder online!
Will this color powder stain?
We didn’t have any problem with the color powder staining skin. It temporarily stained the shirts but didn’t leave a lot of color. If you want more color, I would suggest trying a stronger concentration of food coloring.
What can be used to disperse the powder during a color fight?
There are a number of options for dispersing the powder. My kids grabbed handfuls and threw it and we also made color bombs by stuffing sections of pantyhose with powder and tying the ends.
Readers have suggested using plastic mustard and ketchup bottles or other wide-nozzle squeeze bottles, or balloons. If you use a bottle, be sure the opening is wide enough for the powder to squeeze through without getting clogged.
Is it cheaper to make the color powder or buy it?
This depends a lot on where you buy it and how much you need. Read through the comments for sources that readers have used to buy the powder.
Is it possible to speed up the drying time?
Readers have lessened the drying time by drying it out in the oven. The best recommendation seems to be 225 degrees for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. One reader tried a higher temperature {300 degrees} and it dried too quickly, making the powder rock hard.
How long does homemade color powder last?
In an airtight container, the powder should last for weeks but it’s imperative that it’s completely dried out. If you notice a smell, it’s not dry. If moisture remains in the powder, it will get moldy.
Don’t miss all the DIY details of the fun color fight party where this powder was used!
Doesn’t it stain?
It could stain so we told our guests to wear old clothes and provided them with a shirt to wear. We actually didn’t have any permanent staining in other clothes.
Might be a dumb question but I purchased Holli powder how do I get it to blow out like dust, using at a rivelry football game
You can blow it out of your hand, you can throw it, anything really.
I’m wondering if I make this powder could I use it for a gender reveal party? I’d like to put some of this in a box maybe with tannerite & shot it! Do you think it would work ?
I do think it would work but be careful … the tannerite part is scaring me. 🙂 I’d love to know how this works. Will you share it on the Dukes and Duchesses facebook page?
Did you end up doing this? I am in the process of planning it out!
I am wanting to use this in a photo shoot for my family pictures! How well does it actually stick to clothes? I want it to really stand out in pictures.
It sticks well at the time but the sticking isn’t permanent. You may want to add extra coloring to the powder to really make it pop.
I saw that you answered it doesn’t stain clothes, but just to double check, did you have any staining on the skin?
No, none at all. Some temporarily but it washed off easily with a shower.
I would like it to stain.. how would I go about that?
I’d try adding more food coloring to make the color even bolder … but I’m not sure how else to make it really stain.
no
Where would I find the lids with the pour spouts? I have never seen them. I love them. Thanks.
Amazon has a pour spout that will fit on jars but these ones are from Pick Your Plum. They don’t have them all the time but you can find them with some regularity if you keep an eye on the site.
ok thanks and does anyone know where I can find corn starch. I also want to know which is better to make color poweder should I use flour or corn starch.
You can find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store. I’d use corn starch not flour.
You can also make them with the tops of old salt containers and mason jar rings!!
Will this stain hair and how much would you make for about 30 kids
We didn’t have any staining … it shook right out of the hair. We had 10 kids at our party and went through the powder really quickly. I doubled the recipe for each color and had six colors but for 30 kids I would probably quadruple the recipe for each color and have at least six colors.
Great recipe love that is all natural, but it was still a little chunky, so for anyone else with this problem bast way to solve it is to throw it in the blend and it cleans right out!
Yes, as I said you really have to throw it in the food processor or a blender to get rid of the chunks.
No problems if they inhale the cornstarch?
It probably isn’t great to inhale the cornstarch in large amounts but we were throwing it in such small amounts {rather than blowing huge amounts into the air} that the risk of inhaling it was very small. We also had a rule that it couldn’t be thrown at faces.
Thank you for the tips, this looks so simple to do. I read through some of the comments and see that this doesn’t stain. If I’m looking for it to stay on a white shirts, would this do it or do you know of another method I could try? Thanks again!
I was really hoping it would stain the white shirts as well and it didn’t. I think if you increased the amount of food coloring, it would be much more likely to stain.
I know this is an old comment, but maybe someone reading this will find this idea of use. If you want to wear white t-shirts and get color on them, why not fill water guns with different colored dyes and have a squirt gun fight…and decorate each other’s shirt at the same time 😉
Hi, We will use the powder to do a “trash the dress” , I was looking for a way to “spray” the powder but the shooters they sell are rather expensive. Did you try the water gun to shoot? How did the powder come out?
If anyone can advice me 🙂
Thanks
We tried using spray bottles to shoot the powder but it didn’t work well at all and I doubt a water gun would work either. The powder just kept getting stuck. Hope you can figure something out! I just love the trash the dress idea!
We used ketchup and mustard bottles (purchased through amazon) to spray our color. We just cut the tip a little larger and they worked great!
I am looking at making large quantities for a color run. Do you think it’s doable? Do you know how long it would last and does it need to be in sealed containers? Thanks!
I made mine two weeks in advance. You need time to allow it to dry. I don’t think it would ever go bad … it’s just corn starch and coloring. As long as it dries out completely, it won’t build up any mold. Once it’s completely dry, you can store it in large ziploc bags.
Was this successful? My PTO team is doing the same thing.
How did it work out for your PTO? We are considering making instead of buying. We are anticipating ~200.
Hi Maggie – I researched how much it would cost for me to make my own for a large party (much smaller than 200 though) since I would be buying cornstarch and the dye, and it actually came out cheaper to buy it already made. I just bought a large batch from hippiepowder.com. You should check out that website for good deals compared to other powder sellers. DIY is great for smaller amounts, but for as many people as you are accommodating, DIY isn’t practical. Hope this helps! Also, peacockpowder.com is a sister site to hippiepowder.com (owned by the same people), but for some odd reason, the latter has a free shipping option even though the powder itself is a fraction cheaper on the peacock site. When all is said and done, they are equal minus a couple dollars.
Hello, I just come from a share from Bare Feet on the Dashboard and your recipe for color powder was perfect to add at this link-up about India (with the festival of Holi…).
I will try to do one of those color fight with my kids during this summer and will use your DIY.
Hi, I am organizing a fundraiser carnival/BBQ event and would love to have this idea put to use as a carnival game primarily because it is so colorful and we are an Art School that is raisin money or Autism Art programs. What are the rules that you used for your game in using this colorful homemade product?
Thank you for your great idea!!
We made a rule that you could only throw it at someone below the neck … no faces. That was really about it and it went smoothly with no problems.
This looks really fun. I’ve recently seen a Wal-Mart comercial that has kids throwing water balloons filled with color at each other. Would this mix work as a liquid to fill water balloons?
Gosh, I don’t think it would. I don’t think the cornstarch would dissolve well and stay dissolved. You’d probably be better to use watered down washable paint.
how do you start the game giving them a hand full?
If you click through on the link that shares the whole party you can see a few other details. We gave them little baggies full of powder and then had them come back to the filling station for refills. It kept it all from going too fast and being over in no time.
I am having surprise party for one of my friends and we want to have a color fight. Everyone at the part is wearing white shirts and we want it to get messy and stain the shirts! Is there anything we can do to make them stain the shirts
I wish I had a good answer for you but I really don’t. I wonder if you let the mixture stay a bit wetter if it would stain more or if you doubled the amount of food coloring. You may have to google some ideas.
Make chalk bombs (basically fill a nylon with the powder) and have them throw those at each other, that stains way better – probably because it doesn’t come out until it’s on the shirt, you don’t lose a bunch on the air.
Can you give me more info on this? I’m planning an event for my sorority and we are doing a color war like this and we want it to stain our white shirts but not our hair or skin. Any help would be awesome!
I made this and it smells awful. Is that just the smell of corn starch?
I don’t remember ours smelling bad at all. I’m thinking that might just be the corn starch but I’m really not sure.
NO!!! That is not the corn starch entirely! I did this about 3 weeks ago and mine had an odor too. When I checked the bags this morning, they were growing mold ?. 100# of cornstarch, 16 containers of food coloring, and about 50 aluminum pans wasted. Extremely upset because it was for a fundraiser at our school and the powder was completely dry when I bagged it.
Oh no! We used our within days. I’m thinking yours must have still been moist because cornstarch doesn’t grow mold in the pantry.
Couldn’t you speed up the drying process by placing it in the oven?
I’m sure you could! I haven’t tried it but I’d love to hear if you do that.
It doesn’t work. I put ours in the oven for almost 3 hours at the lowest setting possible. When I took them out, they looked great on top but were hard as a rock. It “dried” them so fast that it wasn’t capable of crumbling anymore it was just a rock.
Thanks for letting us know!
I Needed pink and blue for a gender reveal and followed directions for first color. For the second one, I decreased amount of water and it was perfect. I went back and added more cornstarch to the first, and by doing this, they were both ready immediately. The powder is already pretty fine, but I will run through the blender tomorrow to make sure.
Courtney,
I was wondering how you staged the gender reveal.
Did you just throw the “colored powder”; or put it in a balloon to pop over the parents-to-be???
(There are so many ideas out there but I didn’t want ours to be too cheesy.)
I love the idea of using this since it’s non-toxic & there are children involved.
Thank you!!
Yes – also thinking of doing this for a gender reveal (to put in the pipes of a fourwheeler)… can you let us know how it went? Maybe with pictures?!
Do you remember your measurements or how much you used? Also are you saying that it didn’t take drying time? I’m attempting to make some for a gender reveal as well!
Hello, I’m a cross country runner and my team and I came up with the idea of doing a color run as a fundraiser to get gear for our team. We started a ballot to see how many people would participate and turns out there is many. Any tips or rules to make the powder for 300+ people? I don’t want the powder to go to waste.
Wow, that’s a LOT of people! I’d suggest getting a group of people together and assigning them each a batch and/or a color.
Hi I was wondering how best to ‘throw’ the powder onto the runners? And how long will it last once made?
It should last for a while in an airtight container but be sure it’s totally dry or it will mold. It’s probably a good idea to keep it in the fridge.
It works to use handfuls and throw it … however, if you were going to have a station that runners were going through, you could maybe set up a fan or something to blow it as well.
Our town had a color run and they used plastic squeeze ketchup/mustard dispensers like you would find at a restaurant. You can buy them fairly cheap at a dollar store and just squeeze them in the direction of the runners. The powder is carried on the air squirting out of the bottle.
Trying to make a powder “makeup” for Halloween – would this work for that?
I’m not sure it would really stick to the face. Maybe if you mixed it with some vaseline or something.
Will be trying this this weekend for our gender reveal in our tail pipe and having the kids having a color fight. Will reply with how it went!!
I can’t wait to hear! Feel free to share photos on the facebook page!
Our PTA is using this for a Color Run Fundraiser in a few days.
Due to possible allergies with the children, we are using Argo cornstarch and Betty Crocker Color Gels. Neon and regular.
I’m on my second batch of making the colors.
I baked mine on 225 for 45 minutes after mixing the water and colors.
Stirred each color after removing from the oven. Let sit overnight.
None were hard clumps, just dry powder with some little clumps. Put in blender to make it into the fine powder.
Never noticed any odor from both batches.
Can i slow bake this to expedite the dry time?
Yes, other readers have done that. If you look through the comments, you’ll see one from someone that baked it at 225 for 45 minutes, stirred it, then let it sit overnight. I haven’t tried it though.
Thats great. You could also use Rice flour. That is not so fine, and it won´t get into your lungs.
Its not so sticky, but has the same effect, and doesn´t stain so much. There are many good recipes for Holi Colors
Would this be able to wash out of hair easily?
Yes, no trouble at all!
Heyy friends and I were thinking of doing this as part of our day date before prom would it stain on the skin because that would be a problem
I can’t absolutely promise you but we didn’t have any staining on the skin at all.
When I was little I remember a bug “spray” that was pumped out in something that looked like 2 heavy cardboard tubes, one inside the other, and I think the inside one had an end on it. Something like this might be able to pump ot some of the powder. Boy does that date me!
Why wouldn’t you mix the color paste to the water first? Does it not mix?
That’s a great idea … honestly, I Just didn’t think of it!
Hello.
We love your recipe and will be using it for our upcoming Color Run. Thank you for sharing!
One question:
We are comparing costs for making it vs. buying the 25 pound bags.
The recipe listed above…about how much powder does that make?
Thanks again!
WE just purchased everything for our teen vbs.. We got corn starch in #50 bags for $26 at restaurant supply in the city
We then purchased the Americolor Gels in 13.5oz bottles for $16 of Amazon
The foil pans we purchased for $ .89 each…
Our plan is to make 100# of color..to play capture the flag.
It is July so it is warm outside. We experimented with 1lb of cornstarch in a large
bowl, then added 1/2 cup water mixed with hands. clumpy..
then added the color .. a squeeze of about 1/2 oz and mixed in with hands. really mixed
well.
I then put it in the sun for a few hours. It is dry and lightly clumped. They are still outside so we will have to
wait for the heat of the day or the oven to finish removing moisture. they really are pretty! Colorant is mixed
in well, and it looks great..
Cost…. $2.50 a lb.
Closest commercial supplier $3.49 a lb..
Holipowder $4.50 a lb.
This is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your cost comparison. I hope you have a blast at your event!
I was wondering what the mess factor is, will it be falling off of everyone all over my house. And what will the yard be like after
We were actually really surprised at the lack of mess. It either stuck or didn’t so it wasn’t falling off everyone and the yard didn’t look too bad … just a quick hose down to deal with it.
Just remember that cornstarch (and flour) is flammable when in powder form. Don’t use this near open flames such as a birthday cake.
How many pounds of Wilton’s Icing Gel did you find that a small container could make? I need to make 30pds of color powder and I am just not sure how far the Wilton Color stretches.
How well this work if i add some water to it… like in a water gun
I think it would work fine but I’d do a little test run to be sure.
im doing a gender reveal party (color fight) boys against girls, nut we do not want the color to wash out.
is there a way to keep the color in?
The only thing I think you could do with this recipe is use a much higher concentration of food coloring. That would make it stain more, I think.
To throw the powder you could go to Dollar Tree, get the balloon blow up tubes. Fill them with the powder. Instant blow gun.
Do you know how long this would last if I made it ahead of time? Or should I make it as close to the date of use as possible?
As long as you get it completely dry, it should last for a long time in an airtight container. It’s basically just a powder. Some people have commented that they’ve had mold but I don’t think the powder was fully dry before they stored it away. You need to frequently stir it around so wet spots can dry out.
I will try it, thanks a lot!
Does this have a shelf life?
If you get it completely dry, you can store it in an airtight container for a long time … the same way you can store cornstarch for a long time. But be sure it’s dry because if any moisture remains, it will go moldy.
I found it easier to oven bake it stirring every 20 minutes or so. We took old pantyhose and filled little parts of them with this and had a color war!
Hi.
I am hosting a 7th Birthday party where we will be colour-fighting…
Gonna have about 35-40 kids.
I’ve bought 12kgs of colour paint (6 colours x 2kgs).
Do you suggest the pantyhose / little packets or squeeze bottles to give to the kids?
I bought some small bottles at a shop yesterday, but they don’t squeeze enough to push the powder out… So I’m buying a “tomato sauce” one today to see if that will work better… I’m worried that the packets will waste a lot on the ground… you obviously want as much in the air as possible…
Any ideas on games to play whilst doing this? Don’t want it to be over in 10 minutes or so…
Tx
Jarmi Steyn
Hello. What would you use to make chalk bombs. Material or panty hose? Which would be best? Thank you. Karen
I think panty hose would work much better because it would allow the powder to spray out better!
We are looking to use the powder to throw in on a bonfire for the gender reveal. Do you know if this recipe will burn well and safely?
I really don’t know … I think you’d have to research the ingredients and see how they burn. I’m also not sure it would give you the results you’re looking for. I don’t think this powder would alter the color of the flames or smoke at all.