Making Realistic Fake Blood

Here are two fake blood recipes for filmmakers looking for realistic gore for their fans – a corn syrup recipe for oozing blood, and a flour mixture for blood splatter.

By Dustin McKim , Edited by Stavros Stavrides

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Two Methods: Splatter and Ooze

We have two recipes here – Syrup-based and MB2-based fake blood.
Syrup-based works for the aftermath splatter of your gory zombie fest or shoot-up massacre. If you’re looking for realistic oozing, running, or dripping, MB2 is the way to go.

Now get your apron and let’s get cooking! Let us know how you made out in the comments below.

Syrup-Based Fake Blood

For some real ooze, get a bottle of Karo Syrup (or any other light corn syrup). Add red food color then gradually add a little blue and just a touch of green until it looks right.

Of course, most of the food color you use should be red, but as you color balance the formula remember this:

Real blood in a fresh cut or wound is bright red, and the longer it sits outside of the body it turns darker because it actually ‘rusts’ – blood contains iron.

By experimenting with the amount of blue and green, you should be able to come up with some very realistic-looking blood. However, this will not “run freely from a wound”, but it will do well for bloodstains that have set in zombies, gunshot victims, etc.

Look for just the right amount of ooze depending on how long ago the wound was inflicted. The longer it’s been in open air, the drier it gets.

MB2-Based Fake Blood

This blood formula is less messy to make, and some say is more realistic. But we think that is because its texture offers us a natural-looking splatter.

On the upside, there’s no sugary syrup here that would attract creepy crawlies (though bugs on an open wound could offer a bit more ick.

Prepare the Flour Base:

• 1/2 to 2 level tbsp all-purpose flour per cup (250ml) of water.
• Mix flour into the water completely (no lumps).
• Bring the flour base to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Simmer for 30 minutes while stirring frequently.
• If any surface scum appears, mix it in well – it makes a slightly slimy base with low surface tension. Like blood, it soaks and spreads well.

Mix and Add Food Color

• For 1 cup (250ml) of the flour base:
  – Mix 1 oz Red food color (Durkee brand or equivalent)
  – 1/8 teaspoon (.6cc) green food color (Durkee brand or equivalent)
• Add the color to one cup of the prepared flour base.

Cautions:

• MB2 Formula’s shelf life is fairly short (a few days) at room temperature.
• MN2 blood does not go rank but ferments a bit and loses viscosity with time.
• I have not tested the MB2 formula for refrigerated or frozen storage. Worth a try though.
• MB2 Blood temporarily stains skin but seems to wash out of cotton clothes OK.

Let us know how you made out in the comments below!

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