Potion Making for Beginners

When colors blend, sparkles swirl, and little bits of nature are bottled up, it’s nothing short of magic. Kids love making a mess, and there are few activities less likely to require a bath afterward than making magic potions. Be warned, it is messy business, but learning how to make magic potions is also guaranteed to capture the imagination of kids of all ages. I’ve been known to get lost in the process myself, and I haven’t qualified as a child in at least three decades.

These magic potions are actually just colored water mixed with something sparkly and bottled up with colored ribbon or washi tape. They are not intended to be ingested – ever. So please make sure that your little potion makers understand not to imbibe their creations.

Empty bottles or jars with caps or lids
Water
Water-based colorant (tempera paint, watercolor paint, or even food-dye will work)
Glitter glue, loose glitter, or pearlescent micas
Rhinestones, sequins, small puffy stickers, (we get our favorites from Pipsticks!) or tiny beads and charms
Flower petals, seed pods, or other itty bitty nature treasures
Masking tape or washi tape

Step One
Start by filling your bottle or jar with plain water. This is the empty canvas for your imaginary magic potion.

Step Two
Add color. Experiment with different types of colorants to see how they behave in the water. Tempera paints will create a cloudy, opaque potion while food dyes or watercolor paint will leave the water clear.