Introduction: Illuminated Calming Jar
Disclaimer: Do not give a glass jar to a child who is to young to hold it safely or who is in the middle of a tantrum. This is a great tool but please use responsibly.
To any instructables member- If you make one of your own, I will gladly put it in my instructable to show it off.Just attach it in the comment section and ask that I put it in.
Update:
Step 1: Items Needed
*Jar with a lid (you can use a plastic bottle, the voss bottle would look nice and be safer for small children)but glass would last longer
*3 tbsp of clear glue (or glitter glue) to each 1 cup of (hot) water to fill the jar -you can just eyeball it.
*Glitter (I added about 1-2 inches of glitter)
*Submersible led light - I bought it at Michaels craft store for about $4 (with a coupon of course- 40% off)
*Velcro - i found it at the 99 cents only store- you cant beat that
Step 2: To Get Started
Put the velcro on the lid and on the led light. Pour in the glitter.I used white,blue, and pink. you want to try to get about 3 different types of glitter. I used extra fine , fine and blue , the blue doesnt say what "grade" of glitter it is but it is obviously bigger. Also what's really cool is that when you shake it the water looks blue at first because of the bigger glitter then it falls and then the color seems to turn to pink.(this is when i use the jar without turning on the light) Both ways are very pretty.
Step 3: Almost Done... Yay
Then pour in the glue. The more glue that you put in ,the glitter will take longer to fall. You can adjust the amount of glitter and glue to suit your needs. Now pour in the hot water and put the lid on and shake vigorously. Then open the jar back up, use a q-tip or napkin to gently soak up the bubbles.This will help the water be more clear. Ok, you're done. Turn on your led and replace lid, shake and relax watching the beautiful glitter fall.
If you choose to not use the led light you could glue your jar shut so little ones are not tempted to open it.
To use it on an upset child, the idea is to use it as a timeout "Timer". When the glitter has completely fallen(and hopefully their attitude has changed) they can resume playing. Kids (and adults) like to watch it and it helps them refocus.It also relaxes them so you can start putting them down for a nap or bedtime. It works wonders on my year 3 old. He loves it. He calls it his "shiny treasure"
TIP: To get the sticky label off of say... a spaghetti sauce jar. You can either peel it off or use your hairdryer to get it warm and peel it off. Then it is usually still really sticky, so rub some oil over the sticky parts and let sit over night.In the morning you can either just wipe it off or you can use a the corse side of a sponge . ( I use olive oil)
Step 4:
Participated in the
LED Contest with Elemental LED
Participated in the
Maker Moms Contest
Participated in the
Hurricane Lasers Contest
Participated in the
Halloween Decorations Contest
25 Comments
4 years ago
I have been making some I however have used Liquid Hand Lotion. I just did one with water beads and baby oil. Haven't tried just glitter yet.
7 years ago
dude itss really wurks. bruhh. my kids luv it.
9 years ago on Introduction
how long do the lights last???
9 years ago
I really cannot wait to make this!
9 years ago
Love this (: I was looking around and they make Black light responsive and also glow in the dark glitters. I think maybe you could get a nice glow effect with it if you used a lot of the glitter. probably not as bright as the LED, but still cool. I'm gonna get some and experiment with it soon (:
9 years ago on Introduction
Great instructable ! Thanks for sharing. As a thought ( because my 2 yr old throws everything whether he is mad or not) I thought to use an empty plastic peanut butter jar. Almost unbreakable :)
10 years ago on Step 3
very very cool! i'm trying to get the same effect, I made one but i think i used too much glue or too much glitter. theres hardly any sparky shine & the water just ended up being dark blue, the light doesnt penetrate all the way just the very top. I think i should change colours or something and use less of everything. Any tips?
10 years ago on Introduction
Oh Okay thank you! this does help, will be making soon:)
10 years ago on Introduction
Okay 2 questions, will the Velcro and led light fall off from being exposed to water? And Does the light turn off or stay on constantly?
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Eventually the light might. But it has held up pretty well. Yes the light does stay on until you open the jar and manually turn it off. Unless you can find a different kind of led then what I found at michaels craft store. I hope this helps. :)
10 years ago on Introduction
i went to the Dollar Tree today and got a package with 4/5 shades of blue and green glitter, i hope it's enough, it would be so pretty. now i just need clear glue!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
That sounds pretty. Send me a pic in the add comment section and I would be happy to post it in my instructable.
10 years ago on Introduction
Beautiful! Love the addition of the light! Is the warning from experience?
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Thank you. Lol, no,I just thought it would be a good reminder to help ensure the safety of kids. Luckily my 3 year old doesn't have too many tantrums.
10 years ago on Introduction
plastic containers would work. if you add 20% cooking oil and then some Effervescent tablets and food colouring, you will get great movement of bubbled with the light.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
That sounds real cool but wouldnt you have to add the tablets everytime? If you try that I would love a pic. I wish I had some of those tablets on hand, I would try it.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Yes, but if you use plastic bottles, even children can add the tablets safely. We've done that much before. It will be great to get both working.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Yes, that would be great. :)
10 years ago on Introduction
very cool looking!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
thank you.