Switch Your Real Colors
Use markers, coffee filters, and water to separate and mix pigments with simple chromatography, then recombine strips to switch and create new colors.
Step-by-step guide to Switch Your Real Colors
Step 1
Gather all materials on a flat table with an adult nearby.
Step 2
Flatten a coffee filter and cut it into strips about 2 cm wide and 8 to 10 cm long.
Step 3
Make a small thick dot with a washable marker about 1 cm from the bottom edge of one strip.
Step 4
Pour a small amount of water into the cup so the water level will sit below the marker dot.
Step 5
Place the strip into the cup with the bottom edge touching the water and the marker dot kept above the water line and secure it with tape or a clothespin.
Step 6
Let the water climb the strip until the colored bands stop moving.
Step 7
Lift the strip out of the cup and lay it flat on a paper towel to dry completely.
Step 8
Repeat Steps 3 to 7 with different marker colors to make several separated color strips.
Step 9
Cut the dried strips into small colored segments about 1 to 2 cm long.
Step 10
Place a fresh whole coffee filter on the paper towel and arrange the colored segments on it in new patterns to plan color switches.
Step 11
Gently tap each arranged cluster with a damp fingertip so the pigments transfer and blend onto the blank filter.
Step 12
Let the new filter sit flat until it is completely dry and the new mixed colors show.
Step 13
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I can't find coffee filters or washable markers?
If you don't have coffee filters, use a white paper towel or uncoated cupcake liner for the strips and if washable markers are unavailable try water-based markers or a tiny dot of food coloring in Step 3, because glossy paper or permanent ink won't separate well during the water climb.
The water didn't climb the strip or the colors didn't separate—what went wrong?
Check that the marker dot is placed about 1 cm from the bottom and stays above the water line in the cup (Steps 3–5), that the strip's bottom edge actually touches the water, and that tape or the clothespin holds the strip straight so capillary action can pull pigments up the filter.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For younger kids, an adult can prepare and dip the flattened pre-cut strips and secure them with tape or a clothespin (Steps 1–5) while the child arranges and taps colored segments (Steps 9–11), and for older kids let them cut the dried strips into 1–2 cm segments in Step 8 and design more complex switched-color patterns themselves.
How can we extend or personalize the finished coffee-filter art?
Arrange the dried colored segments into letters, shapes, or layered patterns on a fresh filter (Step 9), tap with a damp fingertip to blend pigments (Step 10), then glue the dry filter to make cards or combine several filters for larger tie-dye pieces before sharing on DIY.org.
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Facts about chromatography and color mixing
☕ A coffee filter works like chromatography paper because its absorbent cellulose soaks up water and lets dyes travel.
🧪 Chromatography was invented by Mikhail Tsvet in 1903 to separate plant pigments into colorful bands.
🖊️ Many black markers hide a rainbow — they’re made from mixes of dyes that separate when run through paper.
🎨 Recombining strips of separated dyes is like swapping puzzle pieces — you can mix new colors without new ink!
💧 Water moves different pigments at different speeds, which is why some colors travel farther and form distinct stripes.
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