Kids Hairdo

Changing your hair color is a lot of fun and – no – I am not talking about going blonde, brunette or red. Have you heard that pink is the new blonde?

That is right. Gone are the days when pink hair was just a favorite poodle fur style. Pink hair dye is here to stay as human fur – by which, I mean our hair – embraces pink and other bright colors. Blue, green, purple hair are now part of everyday hairstyles around the world and there many good reasons for it. First, there are easy options for ‘do it yourself’ at home. In fact, in this article we will talk about how to dye your hair pink with crepe paper – one of my top favorite hair dye techniques for kids (and adults).

Another good reason is, simply put, colorful hair is a lot of fun for kids (and adults for that matter) to play with. I would also add that there is an educational component to it, as the process of hair dyeing can be a bit like a science experiment. There is measuring to be done, methods to be followed and results to be seen. It is also interesting to note how dye reacts differently with different natural hair colors. We happened to have three kids with different hair colors (blonde, brown and red) and we never get the same results for them. But most importantly,as a parent, crepe paper hair coloring ticks the safety box. There is no way I would let my kids dye their hair pink with products containing strong chemicals. Nor I would let them use a permanent or semi-permanent hair color – crepe paper dye is super easy to wash off.

Dying you hair pink using crepe paper.

Our little Ms Fashionista is always up for pink! And purple crepe paper makes for a great pink hair dye! She is now 11 years old and is perfectly capable of dyeing her hair with crepe paper all by herself. Lucky for us, she is also pretty good at following our rules of coloring her hair outside or, if inside, she knows she must use an old towel to cover furniture. Her blonde hair is luckily great for pink. Unfortunately, pink has not worked so well on our brown and red-hair kids. But fear not, other safe child friendly options such as food coloring and chalk hair dye are more suitable for darker hair tones. However, in this article, we will cover pink hair dye with crepe paper.

Before we go to the step by step process, let’s have a better look at some of the pros and cons of crepe paper dyeing:

Pros

• Crepe paper is pretty cheap! My kids sue their pocket money to buy it!
• It is easy to source and can be easily turned into hair dye!
• It is safe for your childrens’ hair.
• It doesn’t require a lot of supervision from parents – depending on kids’ ages and skill.
• It is quick. I estimate five to ten minutes.
• It is easily washable, however it might take more than one wash, but it should be all gone after two or three washes.

Cons

• It can be a little bit messy on your hands and skin (gloves are highly recommended, unless you want to risk colourful handprints everywhere)
• Color can be tricky as the color of the paper is often different to what you get on your hair. For example, purple crepe paper used for this article has turned into pink hair dye rather than purple. However, once you use certain colors you will quickly learn how crepe paper ‘behaves’.
• Pink crepe paper dye is not so easy to achieve for kids with brown and red hair.

Step by step, how to dye your hair with crepe paper

You will need:

Scissors to cut the paper

Cloth or old towel

Gloves (highly recommended)

Crepe paper of your preferred colour cut into pieces – we used purple paper to have pink dye!

Tea spoon of salt. Optional, but salt can help the color to ‘stay on’.

Warm water – it is important not to use too much water, just enough water to soak your hair.

Bowl that is just big enough for the amount of hair you want to dye

Method

Step 1 – Pour warm water into a bowl that is big enough to soak the amount of hair you wish to dye.

Step 2 – Cut crepe paper into pieces and put them in the bowl filled with warm water.

Step 3 – Wait a few seconds for the color to run.

Step 4 – Stir the crepe paper until the colour is well mixed with the water.

Step 5 – Dip the area of your hair in your coloured water. This method works best for dyeing just the tips of your hair.

Step 6 – Gently wipe excess liquid off your hair with a small towel or cloth.

Step 7 – Brush and wait until your hair is dry. You can use a hairdryer for faster results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you dye your hair pink for kids?

There are some great child friendly, easy-to-wash and bleach-free methods that are perfect for kids’ hairs, including dyeing their hair with food coloring (for a pink effect, a small dose of red food coloring will do the job) or with crepe paper.

Is it safe to dye a child’s hair?

We strongly recommend avoiding adults’ products that contain bleach or other strong chemicals. We also strongly discourage people from using permanent or semi-permanent hair dye. Nevertheless, a child friendly and easy to wash method can be a lot of fun.

How can I color my child’s hair?

There are different products available for kids. Things like colorful chalk, food coloring and crepe paper are all good options for kids.

What’s the best hair dye for kids?

The best hair dye for kids is a safe and easy to wash dye option. Another factor to consider is your kids’ natural hair color. Blonde hair can be easily dyed with minimum amounts of dye. Dark hair requires more dye and more time for the dye to stick to the hair.

Food coloring is a wonderful and versatile safe product that allows for endless fun, including temporary blue hair dye for kids.

When my kids were little and did not want to have a bath, my number one trick was to ask them ‘what color bath are we having today?’ instead of simply commanding ‘have a bath’. A few drops of food coloring later – one day blue, another day red, or a combination of both for a purple lagoon – the problem was solved.

Fast forward many years and food coloring is still very much part of family fun times, but not necessarily in the form of colorful baths. Whilst baking and icing are still the main destination for the bright drops, hair dyeing with food coloring has become increasingly popular with our kids. It is an easy, safe (bleach-free), and a fun way to dye small parts of your hair. Whilst our 11-year-old girl is the most interested amongst our three kids, our two boys don’t mind a bit of a crazy hairstyle for special occasions such as Halloween or the odd School Disco.

Washable and Safe Hair Dye for Kids

As a mum, I love food coloring as an option for hair dye. It is cheap and easy. But the two most important factors are safety and (relative) cleanliness. Food coloring was obviously created for food! My gut feeling tells me that if it is safe to go inside your body, it should be even safer to go outside – on your hair or skin. Unlike professional hair dye for adults, food coloring has no bleach. It is also very easy to wash. It usually goes away on your first wash. Although I still recommend gloves, it comes easily off your hands after a couple of washes too and, particularly, if you are quick to wash them.

In terms of cleanliness, I certainly recommend dyeing your hair outside or using old towels and old sheets if you are doing it inside. Nevertheless, what makes the food coloring technique particularly clean is that you don’t need a huge amount of it. All you need is enough to soak the area you would like to cover. If you are just doing the tips – as shown in the feature image here – all you need is about 1/5 cup of warm water and between 4-8 drops of food coloring (blonde hair requires a lot less than darker hair). Small amounts of dye liquid are much easier to manage than other techniques requiring larger amounts of water + color.

Step by Step: How to Make Blue Hair Dye with Food Coloring

OK – enough talking! Let the fun begin! For the food coloring technique, you will need:

• Warm water – just enough to soak the area you want to dye (I used about 1/5 cup)
• 1 teaspoon of kitchen salt
• 4 to 8 drops of food coloring (this will depend on how intense you want the color and also on your natural hair color (blonde hair requires a lot less coloring than darker shades, and if you have black or very dark hair this technique is probably not ideal!)
• A small bowl ( as small as possible – enough to fit in the chunk of hair to be colored)
• Aluminum Foil (enough to cover the area of hair to be colored)
• Hair dryer (optional but highly recommended as it will help the color to stay on your hair)

Method

Start by changing into old clothes an/or aprons that are OK with a few stains.

Second, organise your space with old towels or old sheets, if you are doing it indoor.

Prepare your hair by separating the area of hair you want to dye by using hair ties and clips. If you are doing the tips like we did in the feature image, it is a good idea to do a low ponytail with two or three hair ties along the way – the lowest area being the one you want to dye.

Pour warm water, salt and the food coloring in a small bowl and mix well.

Dip your hair in the bowl and leave it to soak for a minute or two, or until the area looks well soaked.

Carefully wrap the area you just colored with aluminum foil and leave it there for about twenty minutes. It is important to be careful as color might run on your clothes or furniture. It might be a good idea to wrap a towel around the shoulders during that time.

When time is up, remove the foil and blow-dry with a hair dryer. You may gently wipe some of the excess liquid in an old towel, but it is important not to overdo it as you may wipe the color off too. If you don’t have a hair dryer, just let it dry naturally, but, in this case, it is better not to wipe at all.

Have fun with your new blue hairdo!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to dye a child’s hair?

For kids, it is important not to use any permanent or semi-permanent hair dye. Techniques such as the food coloring, creper paper and chalk colors are all safe and washable.

How can I dye my child’s hair at home?

There are different products that you ca safely use on kids’ hairs, however you can also use things such as food coloring or crepe paper to cheaply and safely dye your kids hair.

Can you dye a 5 year old’s hair?

If you use child friendly products and avoid permanent and/or semi-permanent colors, it is safe to dye a 5 year old’s hair. Nevertheless, some may argue that it is important for kids to have agency around this and actually choose to do it rather than having these decisions made for them by their parents. Older kids, if they are interested in hair dye and hair styling, will naturally gravitate towards it. It is also a good way to foster creativity in kids.

What is the safest hair dye for kids?

All hair dyes that are water based and are designed for kids are safe to use. Adult products such as permanent and/or semi-permanent colors are not suitable for kids.

Is Food Coloring Safe as Hair Dye?

Yes, you couldn’t get much safer than food coloring. As the name suggests, it is something we add to food. Anything designed and, hence, safe for eating should be safe on your (or your kids’) hair. As opposed to professional dye for adults, food coloring has no bleach.