Making a Colorful Mosaic Out of Rice

In this craft you will be using grains of rice to create a colorful and beautiful mosaic in any design you'd like. This is a project that you will probably be working on for a few days, and although I've done this craft with kids, if they aren't patient, you may want to find them something else to do. When you first hear rice mosaic, the first thought that may cross your mind is that it will take forever, and it does, but the end result is amazing and worth the work.

You will need:

A wooden board (I typically use a 6 inch square that is about .5 inches thick)

White rice (¾ cup for each desired color)

Rubbing alcohol

Food coloring

Plastic sandwich bags

Tin pie plates

White glue

Paint brush

Tweezers

The first thing you will need to do is color your rice. To do this place 2 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol, a few drops of food coloring, and ¾ white rice in a plastic bag and shake it until the rice is thoroughly coated. The darker you want your rice the more food coloring you use. Place the rice onto a tin pie plate, spreading it as flat as possible, and let dry overnight or until fully dry. Repeat this process for every color.

While you wait for the rice to dry you can work on your mosaic design. I recommend using a pencil and drawing your design onto the wooden board but if you want to be more creative you can skip the sketching and just create your image as you work.

In a plastic cup or disposable bowl, pour some white glue and add a little bit of water to make it thinner so it will be easier to spread but don't make it runny. It is very important to use a clear drying glue since this will serve as your sealant at the end as well. When you're ready to work, use a paint brush to spread a layer of glue on your wooden board and start placing your colored grains of rice to create your design. Don't cover too much of the board with glue at a time as it will just dry by the time you get there. I highly recommend using tweezers to place the rice as this will make it a lot easier but many children will prefer using their fingers.

Don't be afraid to take a break, this is a long term project that I can almost guarantee you will not finish in one sitting unless you are extremely patient.

For the best result you should cover the entire board with your design and not leave any gaps, the grains of rice should be placed up against one another as you work.

When your whole design is finished and you have let it dry over night, brush a thick layer of the watered down glue on top to seal the rice to the board. Let this dry and you can then add picture hanging equipment on the back if you'd like to display your mosaic