Create wonderful fairy lanterns with Mason jars

In Summer, kids like to play outside at night. It’s a time to be carefree (because there is no school the next day!) and to believe in fairies and other mysterious phenomena. This is surely why children love everything that shines and glows in the dark. So why don’t you make a simple project with them? Simple, but impressive!

Make fairy glow jars, to light up your games and pretend you’ve caught tiny magic creatures!

Required material:

• Recycled Glass jars and without labels
• Glow in the dark acrylic paint
• A paintbrush

How-to:

1. With a paintbrush, paint small dots on the inner surface of the jar. Paint different sizes of dots and you can even choose different colors. You can also paint other patterns, like stars, planets or constellations. Let your imagination run wild!

source: YouTube

2. Allow the paint to dry.

3. Glue glitter on the lid of the jar if you want, it will make your project look prettier:

source: YouTube

4. Place the jars in a spot with a lot of light, so that the paint can absorb the light.

5. Turn off the lights, or go outside in a dark place and admire the jar that glows in the dark!

source: YouTube—BunnieClaire

On YouTube you will also find tutorials to make fairy lanterns using phosphorescent sticks (commonly called “glow sticks” and glitter).

Here is an example:

and another one:

Some people prefer to paint on acetate sheets and then insert them in nice jars. They can easily remove the small dots of paint, if they want.

You can also use other kinds of containers, like bottles of soda for example. This is a great decoration idea for a party!

source: Pinterest

If you plan to receive guests with children (or not!), you can prepare some jars to decorate your terrace or backyard at night. It’s a simple and economical way to bring an original touch of color to your decor.

This DIY is also a great way to upcycle objects that otherwise might end up in the trash or in the recycling bin. Give a second life to your old Mason jars!