Fake soot - ideas?

[Xansaf]

So despite us having a gas fire (albeit a real effect open one), DD is adamant Santa is coming down the chimney. Ok I’m down with that but I’ve been wondering how to make sooty footprints. I know some people use talc or flour to make white ones but that doesn’t really seem right when it’s not actually snowy outside. What could I use for fake soot? If I was more organised I would use some charcoal or something but I’m not going off on a wild goose chase for that on Christmas Eve if I can help it!

Coco powder? I know it isn't black but I'm struggling to think of a black powder!

Santa flies through the snow though, as he comes from Russia, so will have snow on the sleigh and on his boots...

Yup, Santa has perpetual snow in his boots because the North Pole snow stays in his sleigh - because magic... (I did flour once but haven't bothered since - it took days to get it out of the damn carpet)

toaster crumbs might work.
or cocoa powder

Dry soil from the garden, rubbed together until it's really fine?

Used dry tea leaves. Or you can get fake snow in a can with a cardboard "footprint" template.

Burnt cork?

I reckon empty out some tea bags

Flour/talc with black food colouring ? Pumpernickel bread flour ?

Buy some charcoal and blend it until it's powder. Ask the local crematorium if they've got any leftovers ?

The scrapings from the bottom of your oven if you clean it as infrequently as I do

Dust from your vacuum cleaner. Yucky but would look the part.

Deliberately burn toast and scrape off the burnt bits?

Some great ideas here!! I’m going to look into the tea leaves or flour with food colouring ideas.

@theconstantinoplegardener that made me laugh. I’d totally have done that if I hadn’t oven prided it (for the first time in god
Knows how long) the other week

set fire to a bit of paper in a pan and rub the remaining carbony bits into powder

But how will you clean up - these are all high stain potential suggestions 😱

Bake some flour for half and hour to an hour or more. Basically burn it, leave it to go cold, use it as soot.

Burnt toast crumbs?