Blood Alchemy: Perfecting Blood Potions
Craft fake blood with the perfect texture, color, and movement for potions, props, or spooky decorations.
One of my best-selling potions is Vampire Blood and when I share videos showing the making process I get the same question. What is the liquid? Let me introduce you to the secret behind making this thick apothecary jar that looks like blood in a bottle: Corn Syrup.
Yep, the basic corn syrup you can get at Walmart or the Dollar General. When I was searching for ways to make blood, corn syrup kept coming up because of its thickness. In addition, corn syrup doesn’t break down over time, so you can have a long-lasting potion that keeps for years. It also doesn’t stick to the bottles. Part of the appeal of the Vampire Blood Apothecary Jar is that the liquid moves in the bottle, but it doesn’t stick to the sides.
Coloring
Liquid food coloring is my go-to for dying corn syrup. First, start with a red base using 4-5 drops of red food coloring. Then, darken the blood using either brown or purple food coloring, depending on the type of blood potion you are making. Adding brown tends to create a more natural blood color while adding purple tends to give it a two-toned magical effect.
Unfortunately, I don't keep track of how much brown or purple coloring I use for jars. Instead, I add a few drops at a time, stir in the second color, and then repeat the process until I get the desired effect.
Corn Syrup Alternatives
If you don't want to use corn syrup here are some alternatives:
Clear Dish Soap
Clear Dish soap is a cheaper alternative that has a gooey effect. You can also use the same food coloring techniques to dye the dish soap to your desired look. I use clear dish soap for my Spider Eggs and Eye of Newt Apothecary Jars because it has a unique consistency. However, the viscosity just isn’t the same as corn syrup, the main difference being it moves more slowly in the bottle.
What About Hand Soap?
You can use clear hand soap, but I’ve found dish soap works better. You get more bubbling with hand soap, and I’ve had it happen a few times that an apothecary jar was ruined because the hand soap turned watery while the dish soap kept its same consistency. I think the reason for this is the different thickening agents in hand soap versus dish soap. But I am not an expert so you can do the experimentation for yourself to see how you like the results
If you interested in seeing more behind the scenes of making blood potions. Check out my YouTube Vlog.
Making blood potions is all about finding the right texture, movement, and color to create something that looks eerily real. If you decide to make your own, I’d love to see how they turn out! Tag me on TikTok or Instagram (@goosedevilcollections) or drop a comment—let’s keep the magic flowing.