# Homemade Rangoli Powder
> Mix rice flour with drops of candy color and a little salt to make bright homemade rangoli powder. Then pinch and trickle it into patterns on a foil pie pan, or draw designs in it with a finger.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-homemade-rangoli-powder/
- Ages: 4–8 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 15 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, patterns, colors, cultural-awareness
- Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 0.25 cup Rice flour
- Candy colors
- 0.125 cup Salt (household)
- 1 piece Small bowl (household)
- 1 piece Spoon (household)
- 1 piece Foil pie pan (optional)
- Turmeric root powder (optional)
- Rangoli stencils (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of candy colors: Turmeric root powder, vermillion or flower petals (The author's organic route to color. If using vermillion, choose a product labeled non-toxic and kid-safe.)
- Instead of rice flour: Chalk, sand or a white rock powder (Used in recent times for easier handling, because coarse powder flows better. The author's family has always used only rice flour.)
- Instead of pie pans: Steel plate (The author made the star pattern on a steel plate.)

## Safety
- Candy colors stain hands. The author says mixing by hand leaves stains for a day, so use a spoon if you mind.
- This is an art material, not food. Don't let kids eat the colored flour and salt, and supervise children who still mouth things.
- Pinch and pour the powder gently and don't blow it. Keep flour dust away from faces and eyes.
- Turmeric, if used for color, also stains hands, clothes and surfaces.

## Before you start
- Cover the table. Loose powder spreads, and candy colors stain.

## Steps
1. Put 1/4 cup of rice flour in a small bowl, one bowl for each color.
2. Add candy colors a few drops at a time.
3. Mix with a spoon, or with your hand if you don't mind stains for a day. Keep adding color until you like how bright it is.
4. Add about 1/8 cup of salt and mix again. Add more color if needed.
5. Repeat with a new color in each bowl.
6. Take a pinch of powder between your thumb and pointer finger. Move your thumb up and your pointer finger down to trickle a line onto the foil pie pan.
7. Or spread a bunch of colors on the pan and draw the whole design with your finger.
8. Try a simple pattern, like a star outlined in one color and filled with another.
9. Optional: spread powder on a flat surface and press a rangoli stencil over it for a ready-made design.

## Tips
- The measurements don't have to be accurate. Just start with 1/4 cup of rice flour per color.
- Our blue and yellow have more salt in them than the red and green, and you can see the difference in the texture.
- Use candy colors. Regular food colors will not mix and will not color the rice flour.
- Our family has always used only rice flour. My mother loved that the designs laid out in front of homes were food for tiny creatures, especially ants, so she never wanted to mess with the organic ingredients.
- Traditionally the designs are made with your thumb and pointer finger. Watch a video of the finger movement before you start.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2015)

Make vibrant [***Rangoli Powder***](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangoli) at home for a fun and unique **[art activity for kids](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/).** Requires just 3 ingredients and you and your kids can be off creating beautiful patterns.

**Materials**

- - **[Rice Flour](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019GZ7YI/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Candy Colors](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006FWVX/?tag=blmemo-20)**

- - Salt

- - Pie Pans {optional}



### How to create with Homemade rangoli powder

The measurements don't have to be accurate. I started off with 1/4 cup of rice flour. Then to make colors, you can still go the organic route and add only [**Turmeric Root Powder**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001A1PYHW/?tag=blmemo-20) , vermillion, flower petals. For this homemade rangoli powder recipe I used candy colors. With 1/4 cup of rice flour start added the candy colors in drops. Keep mixing with a spoon or your hand if you don't mind the stains for a day. Keep adding the colors until you are satisfied with the intensity. To make the powder a bit better add about 1/8 cup of salt. Add more color if need be. The blue and the hello have more salt in them compared to the red and free. I hope you can see the difference in the texture.  The candy colors are the only ones that work to make this homemade rangoli powder. Regular food colors will not mix and will not color the rice flour.  Once you have your rangoli powder it's time to get creative with this simple art activity for kids. We choose to create on a foil pie pan. Traditionally the designs are made using your thumb and your pointer finger. Take a pinch and start creating while moving your thumb up and your pointer finger down. The video at 1:00 will show you the actual finger movement. [[Watch the video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtSclfg5o4k)

](https://www.funlittles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PROCESS-OF-MAKING-RANGOLI-DESIGNS.jpg) Another way to have fun with this art activity is to spread a bunch of colors on a surface and create the entire design with your finger.  I used a steel plate to create this simple star pattern using our blue and yellow.

### 

Spread the powder on a flat surface and press the stencil over it and viola! beautiful design!!

### [More Art Recipes here](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/art-recipe/)