Introduction: Biohazard Halloween Candy
I love candy. I love to eat candy. I love to give candy. I love to take candy...except from babies, cause that's not cool. It is safe to say, that I would kill, for candy. Muahahaha.
No, but really, as good as candy is, it also makes your insides rot. Sort of a catch 22: eat it, love it, die. Zinc trisodium aspartate, bisulfate oxide, malto-dextrin alkalide, dehydrated calceinate, artificial barley malt, and the list goes on. This can't be good for you. But will it stop us? Never. Will it stop our children? Nope. Will it make for a fun Halloween project? Damn skippy!
With some paper, blacklight paint, and LEDs, you can make a super sweet Halloween treat AND a profound statement about healthy living. Pffft!
The beauty of this project is that it's prety versatile. So let's get started.
Step 1: Materials You Will Need
Candy - have someone else watch over this...I depleted my supply twice before finishing
Small Biohazard Bags - available @ med supply stores. If you have a friend who works in a hospital, have them grab a few.
Few sheets of paper - optional
Few sheets of paper towels
Multicolored LED's (blue and green work best)
UV paint (glow in the dark paint) got mine @ http://www.maxmax.com/- optional
Paintbrush
Wire cutters
3 - 3.5V batteries
Duct tape
Scissors
Blacklight - optional
Step 2: Create the Glowing Bio Bits
Blacklights are cool. (Yes, I said it...what are you gonna do about it) Aside from making things look trippy and fun, they can also make them look toxic and gross. SO, brush a generous amount of UV paint onto the paper. Don't get all frugal and artsy with it. Soak it well as the paint is alcohol based and will dry nicely onto the paper.
Once dry, rip the paper into as many tiny pieces as you can. This way, it will look like glowing toxic bits with the candy. Use as much paper as you have paint for. The more the deadlier. Have fun with it. You can try different kinds of colors too.
Place in a bowl. Move on to next step.
Step 3: Create the Portable Glowing Bio Bits
Ok, so the paper gets the point across under a blacklight, but you will not be giving away the blacklight with the candy. OR, you might not even have a blacklight and are skipping the first step. NO PROBLEM!
Grab your wire cutters, LED's, tape and paper towel, cause we're making LED throwies! Ok, sort of. Take an LED, and test it on a battery. Figure out which lead needs to go on the + and - side of the battery to make the LED glow.
Take the wire cutters, and trim the LED leads to fit the battery so you don't have pointy ends sticking out...we ARE dealing with children here and you don't want actual blood spilled. Cut a strip of tape, and tape the LED to the battery so it holds tight and glows continuously.
Cut a square piece of paper towel and wrap it loosely around the LED. The idea is to get a nice diffusion dome going around the light. Tape it with another strip of tape.
Make a few of these using different colored LEDs. Place into a bowl with the paper bits.
Step 4: Put It All Together
Have your friend bring you the candy they've been watching over this entire time. Toss the candy into the bowl. Mix it it up with the paper bits and the LEDs until you get a decent consistency.
Take a HazMat baggie and fill it up with the mixture. Seal the baggie.
Turn out the lights and watch your toxic candy glow!!! Yeah!
Step 5: Execution
Ok, so this is the most important part.
If you're using the blacklight method, place the blacklight in a key position in the exchange area. The exchange area is where the baggies of candy will be transfered from you to the trick-or-treater via any method. For maximum exposure, use a small area with very little incident lighting (aside from blacklight), a stale foul smell, and creepy sounds. Maybe some barrels of toxic ooze or some such thing. Anyway, the exchange should be slow as the paper will only glow under the blacklight, after which the LEDs will take over.
If you are just using LEDs, do same exact thing! Creep 'em out. Scare their parents and get them to call HAZMAT. LOL. No, but really, because these are larger candy gifts, save them for the good costumes...otherwise it might get a little pricey.
Have Fun!!!
19 Comments
10 years ago on Introduction
My 5 kids are all in there 20's now and they all LOVE candy still. I always tell them, 'Do you know what's in candy?!!" Do you know what effect those toxic additives have on your bodies?!@ lol.. Just so you know I'm copying and pasting your description above and sending it to all their phones lol.. Great instructable btw!
16 years ago
Thanks! Yeah I got UV LEDs as well. I was going to use them at first but thought it might not be a good idea to have little kids playing with UV ligth. Probably not a problem, but they tend to have more of a direct beam than a blacklight tube. Just wanted to make it as safe as possible. Also UV LEDs are harder to find.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Good call. Yes, it is dangerous to look directly at UV LED's. I built UV LED pinspots for my yard-haunt and did a lot of research into the subject beforehand. Just search UV LED safety.
12 years ago on Step 1
you can buy cheap uv leds. just check ebay.
13 years ago on Step 1
I'd love to know where you got those bags, none of the ones i've seen anywhere have the same look, and I really like the ones you have, for whatever reason, likely because they're mostly clear with the red icon as opposed to the usual full-red bag.
Reply 13 years ago on Step 1
Never mind I think I found an alternative. Thanks anyway!
13 years ago on Step 1
LOL...nice....I can't seem to finish my halloween night without have to go and buy more candy for the kids because I consume it all myself...
14 years ago on Introduction
nice instructable i gotta tell you but... biohazerd mean infected candy, i did this last halloween and no one would take my candy!! they said oh no son don't take this!! so not a good idea to put out...
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I wouldn't have a problem with being stuck with a bunch of candy nobody would eat.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
rofl soo true you posted this the day after my bday
16 years ago
That is a really cool idea, I tried something similar last Halloween with LEDs and one thing I noticed is that by the time I was done connecting all the LEDs, and the evening was coming to a close, the batteries were starting to die. Yes, I used cheap batteries, but they were to give out. So this year what I intend to do is to take a small piece of mylar and place it between the battery and one LED lead, leaving a tail or thread or mylar running out of the tissue paper, or paper towel in this case, although tissue paper gives a nice crinkly, irregular effect. . If I was doing a bag that sealed, I guess you could still use thread, just leave them hanging out of one corner of the bag. Pull them out and give it a shake. Just a thought.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
if you make the haz-mat bio hazerdous candy again this year, use AA batteries with a little resistor for longer battery.
15 years ago on Introduction
i did this on hallowween and every one was amased sry i didnt reply eirlyer becuse my computer crashed
15 years ago on Introduction
15.0076 outa 10!!!
15 years ago on Introduction
Great idea, way cool. If you or anyone has any other good Special Event, Movie or Halloween stuff. I'm with a cool group that is creating a Blog for anything relating to Halloween, Special Events, Entertainment Shows, Concerts, Parties, Special Effects for all or any of these. We have a lot of cool people who may try your stuff for their projects. Please send us your cool projects relating to these to entertainment-at-california.com; Really liked how this was executed too!!!
15 years ago on Introduction
so this isnt poison right? i hope not. but i like this instructable. 10 outta 10
16 years ago
sweet
16 years ago
I bought UV LED's (blacklights are UV) to make smaller blacklights, and you could probably use those instead of the blue.
16 years ago
That is a cute idea for handing out candy bags to trick or treaters!