How to Make Colored Rice Candle Decor the Easy Way

Looking for an easy and festive way to decorate candles for Memorial Day or even the Fourth of July? Look no further than this patriotic candle decor using colored rice!

All you need is some white rice, food coloring, and a few mason jars or candle holders.

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Supplies Needed to Make Colored Rice Candle Decor

• Bag of any kind of plain rice (I got mine from the Dollar Tree)
• Food coloring (I used red and blue)
• Ziploc baggies
• Glass candle holders; mason jars, votive candle holders, or stemless wine glasses
• Votive candles (traditional or battery-operated)

How to make candle decor using colored rice

This Memorial Day or Fourth of July, try something new with your candle decorations- use colored rice! It’s a festive and fun way to show your patriotism.

Switch up the colors for other holidays and keep the fun going! This is a great activity to do with the kids or grandkids, too!

You could even start a new family tradition–coloring rice for festive candle holders for every holiday!

Step 1. Measure out your rice in layers

Take your glass candle holder and pour in a portion of the plain rice to see where you want your first layer to be and then pour that back into one of your Ziploc baggies.

Repeat this step with each of the glass candle holders until you have the first layer of rice for all containers poured into one of the baggies.

If you’re using three glasses and three layers, measure out three Ziploc baggies of equal amounts of plain rice.

Step 2. Color the rice

Add several drops of food coloring to each of the baggies of rice you want to be colored.

Seal the baggie and work the food coloring throughout the plain rice until the rice is coated.

Repeat the process by adding additional food coloring until your desired color is achieved.

Some people like to add rubbing alcohol or vinegar to the food coloring; however, I just used the food coloring alone with fabulous results.

Step 3. Pour the rice into your candle holders

Begin pouring out the colored rice into each candle holder spreading it out equally among each one. (Some people like to “dry” out the rice first on a paper plate, I did not do this)

Once the first layer is in the candle holder spread it around with your fingers until it is laying how you want it to look.

I went for an asymmetrical look, but you may want it to be more of a sharp even look, in which case, you may want to tamp it down with a flat object.

Continue to add your colored rice layers. I added a middle layer of plain rice.

Follow up each layer of colored rice until you have reached the desired look with your candle decor.

Step 4. Add a votive candle to the colored rice

Dig a small section of rice at the top to place your votive candle into. Sprinkle a little bit of the last layer of colored rice around the votive to fill in around it.

Step by Step Video Tutorial on How to Make Colored Rice for Candles

If you prefer to watch a step-by-step video tutorial on how to make colored rice for candles, then watch the YouTube video below.

This video includes 7 Easy Dollar Tree Patriotic DIYs! The tutorial for this project is first. Use the timestamps in the video description to navigate to each tutorial.

Light your candle or turn it on if it’s battery-operated and enjoy!

Candle decorating is a great way to show your creativity and using colored rice is a fun and easy way to decorate candles for any holiday.

So get creative and have fun with it! Try it today!

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Ways to Display Colored Rice Candle Decor

• Place on a buffet table
• Add to a tiered tray
• Set out on a kitchen or bathroom counter
• Display on a bookshelf
• Put on a stack of books on a tray
• Place on a side table

More Colored Rice Candle Decor Ideas

• Use for a graduation party with school colors
• Have fun using colored rice for a baby reveal
• Create a themed tablescape using colored rice
• Turn plain rice black and orange for a spooky Halloween display
• or green and red for Christmas
• Add spa scents to colored rice for a mood candle

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