The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · January 2015
Ages4–8 yrs
Prep15 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
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.
⚠️ Safety first
- 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 the kids arrive
- Cover the table. Loose powder spreads, and candy colors stain.
Steps
Put 1/4 cup of rice flour in a small bowl, one bowl for each color.
Add candy colors a few drops at a time.
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.
Add about 1/8 cup of salt and mix again. Add more color if needed.
Repeat with a new color in each bowl.
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.
Or spread a bunch of colors on the pan and draw the whole design with your finger.
Try a simple pattern, like a star outlined in one color and filled with another.
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.from the author
- Our blue and yellow have more salt in them than the red and green, and you can see the difference in the texture.from the author
- Use candy colors. Regular food colors will not mix and will not color the rice flour.from the author
- 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.from the author
- Traditionally the designs are made with your thumb and pointer finger. Watch a video of the finger movement before you start.from the author
Make it your own
- Spread the colors on a surface and create the entire design with your finger.
- Use rangoli stencils pressed over spread powder for instant designs.
- Go the organic route and color the flour with turmeric, vermillion or flower petals.
- Create on a steel plate instead of a foil pie pan.
What readers say
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