DIY Blood for Halloween

Here's a fun little fact about me – I have a passion for special effects makeup. Ever since I can remember I have been experimenting with different things to create bruises, scars, scabs, and anything else gory. The only problem with my little hobby is that it's really hard to find natural alternative to stage makeup and fake blood. There are natural eye shadows you can use to make bruises, but there aren't any natural fake bloods that I know of.

In honor of Halloween and my love of special effects makeup this post is going to teach you how you can make your own blood at home. There are no specific measurements, just make this recipe by eye depending on the amount you need and the consistency and color you want. You can substitute regular red food coloring with natural food coloring. Make sure you're using food grade dye. Also, keep in mind that red food coloring stains.


Mix light corn syrup and red dye together until you get the desired blood like color. You can also add a little blue and/or green food coloring to make it look deeper and more realistic, just make sure to add it drop by drop to gauge the color. Keep in mind that you can add color, not remove it. Add a small amount of cocoa powder (chocolate syrup also works) to the mixture. This will make the blood look more life-life and opaque. If you want thinner blood, add a little bit of water very slowly until it is the desired consistency. If you want it thicker, add cornstarch or flower little by little until it is thick enough.

There are other recipes that involve kool-aid, barbecue sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, and beet juice but this one is my tried-and-true favorite. Are you celebrating Halloween? If you are, are you dressing up? I'd love to know what you're planning on being.