Ok, so before I go scouring the internet for recipes for fake blood which may or may not work, I decided to ask the good people of DDN for their tried and true recipes.

I need fake blood for a Halloween party on Saturday night. I am going as a horror movie nurse, so the blood will be used more for stains on my dress and gloves than to simulate some kind of grievous wound. Therefore, it does not necessarily need to be thick and claggy in order to stick to me, it just needs to be true to the colour of real blood. A good consistency, however, would be good so it doesn't just soak into the fabric and disappear.

Short of just splashing pillarbox red food dye all over myself, what are some of your best ever fake blood recipes?

Thanks guys!

Erin.
::righteous babe::

I've never made fake blood but I do have a recipe that suggests using corn flour mixed with water and red food colouring. You just add water/corn flour until you have a consistency that you want. If you want really red blood then use red food colouring, if you want darker blood try mixing brown food colouring with red food colouring.

I have before used gravy - the kind you make from granules and boiling water - with food colouring. You make it stronger than you would if making gravy so you get a more blood like consistency. Just be careful food colouring stains your skin.

^I wouldn't want to be covered in gravy all night though.

Corn syrup (any clear syrup - or honey I guess - would work) & red food dye. Try to get the paste or powder instead of the liquid dye so it doesn't get too runny.

Corn syrup, chocolate syrup and red food dye. That is how they make low buget blood in the movies.

Is corn syrup sweet? My friend Jenna has a cat with a sweet tooth (weird, I know), and I kind of want to avoid spending the whole night with a cat trailing after me, so honey might not be the best idea.

Erin.
::righteous babe::

HollieErin wrote:

Corn syrup, chocolate syrup and red food dye. That is how they make low buget blood in the movies.

Ding, ding ding! She is the winner. That is the formula that I've been using for years when I don't use the true stage blood. Add just a tiny speck of blue to give the darker shades and add starch to make it thicker as well.

Here are a couple other formulas I've used over the years as well.

Homemade Fake Blood
1 c. Karo Syrup
1 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp Red Food Coloring
1 tsp Yellow Food Coloring
Mix together in a mixing bowl and you're done. Try adding blue or yellow for a different shade.

Chocolate Fake Blood
1/2 c. Warm Water
4 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 Tbsp Powdered Cocoa
1 tsp Red Food Coloring
Blend the water and cocoa together and then add the rest of the ingredients. Let the concoction sit for awhile and skim the bubbles off of the top. Add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring if you're not satisfied.

Non-Toxic, Movie/Haunted House Blood (edible)
1. Buy dark syrup to use as a base.
2. Add red food coloring (baking gel works best, but the regular kind works nearly
as well) and mix, testing occasionally to see if the color is right.
3. This mixture is easy to make, takes little time, and works well. It can be a little
sticky or awkward when it dries, but is generally the easiest and safest to use.

[edit] Non-Toxic Blood (edible)
1. Combine 1 part water with 3 parts corn syrup.
2. Add red food coloring and mix gently by shaking or stirring. Continue adding
drops until the shade resembles that of real blood. Add a small amount of green food coloring to achieve a more realistic shade.
3. Add a thickener.

Dry thickener - Add sifted flour or corn starch to your mixture, and gently mix it all again. You may get small lumps forming at the top of the mixture. Wait about a minute and they will float to the top where you can remove them.

Wet thickener - Stir in chocolate syrup until the desired consistency is reached. It will also add a realistic brown tone to the blood.

4. Let the mixture sit for ten minutes in a warm environment. This will give it some time to thicken.

It's interesting that our newspaper recently had an article on this very subject. If you can stand a few more recipes here's the link.
www.denverpost.com . . .

Oooh so many choices! I got bored this morning just after I posted this thread and started Googling - has anyone ever tried this recipe?

Movie blood (inedible)

Unlike the non-toxic, edible blood, this one won't be sticky. When dribbled from about five feet, this blood will create nice "splatter" patterns, like real blood does. On skin it will flow easily and smear like the real deal. But, be careful how you use it. It can easily get everywhere.

1. Pour about three quarters as much alcohol-free, water-soluble hair gel as the amount of blood you want.

2. Add water-soluble motor or radiator lubricant, any brand. This should be semi-opaque and slightly thicker than water. Start off with a very small amount and mix with the gel until it turns watery.

3. Mix in about half as much red food coloring as there is liquid. Preferably, buy a "super strength" type at a bulk foods store to save money, and skip the cheap, 1 oz (29.5ml) bottles; they look too pink.

4. Add small amounts of chocolate syrup to make the blood browner, and improve the thickness. It shouldn't be too much like water, but still very dribbly.

5. Add small amounts of hand sanitizer if you're having trouble with a nice, drippy consistency. Be warned, this easily weakens the mixture.

6. Check the mix. The final mix should be a little bit thicker than water, deep brownish-red, and about the opacity of milk.

I like the sound of this but it sounds like it might be a bit expensive. I am hoping to avoid stick foodstuffs if at all possible, as I made chocolate syrup blood once for a Zombie Shuffle and by the end of the day I was sticky and itchy and miserable.

I like the idea of cornflour and water and red food dye, and also some of those recipes with dilute corn syrup. Thanks for the ideas and tips guys, I'm going to do some trial and erroring this evening to pick my favourite blend.

Erin.
::righteous babe::

What do you need, I have some theatrical blood I can shoot off to you if you need. It is edible but not as sugary?

I just need something that looks like blood, for smearing all over my costume. Bonus points if it isn't sticky.

Unfortunately, however, I am in Australia so whatever you have wouldn't make it to me in time. But thankyou for the offer

Erin.
::righteous babe::

Odessa wrote:

I just need something that looks like blood, for smearing all over my costume. Bonus points if it isn't sticky.

Unfortunately, however, I am in Australia so whatever you have wouldn't make it to me in time. But thankyou for the offer

Erin.
::righteous babe::

Try craft paint. I used that as blood for my costume itself, then used the stage blood (AWESOME STUFF, really looks real, also feels real except for it being extremely sticky)for my skin/wounds. My costume turned out extremely well and I got a ton of compliments.

This recipe looks realistic, however it does not stain clothing, and doesn't require many ingredients
* 2/3 c. Corn Syrup
* 1/3 c. Warm Water
* 5 Tbsp Corn Starch
* 4 tsp red food coloring
* 1 Tbsp Powdered Cocoa
* 2 drops of green or yellow food coloring

Mix the corn starch with the water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the corn syrup. Add the food coloring slowly, checking for color.

What the people have said above usually works, the mixture of corn flour, water and food colouring. You can also buy really cheap novelty fake blood at the shops if that works out to be easier

HollieErin wrote:

Corn syrup, chocolate syrup and red food dye. That is how they make low buget blood in the movies.

This is how we did it in my low budget senior thesis project movie! Finding the right consistency was hard though, we definitely have one scene where the blood looked fuschia when we played it back!