Call them glitter tubes, call them calm-down bottles, or call them just plain fun. These little guys are surprisingly easy to make, and cost almost nothing to do. You might even have most of the materials at home already and can easily re-purpose things around the house to customize your own creations. Aside from being fun to make and look at, these bottles are also great tools for helping kids focus and calm their minds. Watching the glitter fall is pretty mesmerizing, even for me. For a child who needs help processing or in calming their thoughts, these are a helpful tool. Some specialists use these to help children with meditation, breathing exercises, sensory-processing, or behavior modification, and you can too. You might be surprised at how focused a young mind can get watching these swirl and settle.
Supplies List:
- Clear plastic bottle with lid
- Sequins
- Glitter
- Water
Any clear plastic bottle with a lid will do, and in this example I used a 2.5oz travel bottle. Ideally the lid should screw on for a tight seal, and not have any opening parts (flip lids, pop tops, etc.) Any clear bottle you have at home would work just as well. Empty bottles of water, sports drinks, shampoo, dish soap, or kitchen spice bottles would be great.
Don’t have a box full of glitter just laying around? (Oh, you lucky duck!) Any store selling craft or party supplies will have some. If you don’t want glitter, anything tiny that does not dissolve in water will work equally well (sand, old kitchen herbs, chop some wrapping ribbon or Easter grass) – the sky is the limit.
Instructions:
Step 1: Pour the sequins into the bottle. I used about a teaspoon full.
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Step 2: Add the glitter. A little goes a long way. For a 2.5oz bottle I used about half a teaspoon.
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Step 3: Fill with water. Fill slowly to prevent overflow, and get as full to the top as you can.
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Seal the lid, and you’re done! If you’re worried about spills, run a line of super glue or hot glue around the bottom of the lid.
Optional extras:
- For slower-moving glitter squeeze a bit of glitter glue or clear gel into the bottle before filling with water.
- Use a drop of food coloring to dye the water.
- If you are using a large bottle, experiment with some larger items as well (pom poms, grass or leaves, beads, craft jewels, etc.)
