How to Make a Calm Down Jar
Choose a suitable container., Fill the jar or bottle with water., Pour in the glitter glue., Add a few drops of food coloring., Shake in a little extra glitter., Glue the lid into place., Make jars in an assortment of colors., Add fun glitter...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a suitable container.
For your calm down jar, you can start with any safe, transparent container.
Plastic containers will be your best bet, as they’re less likely to break and cause accidents.
The container you go with should have a solid one-piece lid or cap that screws on and stays put.Mason jars are a good place to start if you have older children that you trust to handle glass.
Clear plastic containers are safer and better choices for younger individuals.
A quick look through recycling can often yield good results.
Many crafters recommend Voss or SmartWater bottles for their large size and smooth, sturdy construction. -
Step 2: Fill the jar or bottle with water.
Turn on the tap and run warm water into the jar until it’s about three quarters of the way full.
From here, you’ll add each of the other components individually.
Together, they’ll form a suspension in the water.Warm water will help melt the glue, resulting in a smoother suspension with no noticeable globs or separation.
Leave an inch or two of space at the top of the container so that the glitter mixture has room to move when shaken., Stir the glue to distribute it throughout the water and break up any clumps.
For larger containers, use 1-2 small tubes of glitter glue.
For small calm down jars, a single tube will likely do the trick.Use a toothpick or cotton swab to assist in scraping the glue out of the slender tubes. , Swish the jar gently to help the food coloring diffuse throughout the water-glue mixture.
The amount you use is largely up to you.
Less food coloring will give the jar a bright, translucent look, whereas denser color will produce a mesmerizing galactic swirl.Stir in the food coloring gradually until you reach the desired shade.
Be careful not to add too much color.
This will darken the contents of the jar and make it difficult to see the glitter., Grab an additional tube of extra-fine glitter and funnel it into the opening of the jar.
The glitter is the main attraction of the calm down jar and should be pretty concentrated, so don’t be afraid to use a lot.
You and your child can decide when your calm down jar has just the right level of shimmer.The more glitter you use, the longer it will take to settle.
Play around with different proportions of ingredients to change the speed of the jar., Now that all the necessary components are in place, top off the jar the rest of the way with water, leaving about half an inch of space at the top.
Dab the underside of the lid with a strong adhesive, like super glue or rubber cement.
Twist it firmly into place over the opening of the jar or bottle.
Allow several minutes for the adhesive to take hold.This will keep the lid securely attached to the jar so that there’s no risk of it being pried off by small children or coming dislodged if it’s dropped.
Be careful when handling strong adhesives.
Since there will be glitter everywhere, there’s a lot of potential to make a mess. , Don’t stop at just one calm down jar—create as many as you please! Pick out a few bold complementary colors, or fill each of the jars with a different color and create a rainbow display.
Letting your child gaze at their favorite color will only enhance the calming effect of the jar.Make enough calm down jars for every child in the household to have their own.
This will help prevent stressful arguments over what belongs to who.
Soft colors like blue, pink, green, and lavender are especially soothing., Purchase a special craft glitter to mix in with the regular glitter and glitter glue.
When you shake the jar, you’ll be able to see smiley faces, stars and dinosaurs floating around inside.
This is a great way to add a more personal touch to the jar and encourage your child’s creative interests.Check craft supply stores for unique and interesting types of glitter. , In addition to ordinary jars and bottles, look for other items that might make good calm down jar.
An unused sunscreen or condiment bottle can be cleaned out and turned into a perfect travel-sized calm down jar.
You could also make an oversized version using a repurposed peanut or pickle jar that all the little ones can gather around at once.Make sure the container you select is clear, can be gripped easily and won’t shatter if it’s dropped or thrown.Fill a keychain bottle of hand sanitizer with glitter to give your kids something to play with while you’re grocery shopping. , Vigorously shaking the jar will give your child a physical outlet to blow off steam while they’re still worked up.
They can jostle it as hard as they want for as long as they want until their frustration begins to subside.
When shaken, the liquid inside the jar will shift, causing the glitter to dance in a brilliant cascade.Demonstrate how the jar works and explain that it’s supposed to make you feel better when you’re unhappy.Make sure small children can safely hold and shake the jar themselves.
If not, you can get it started for them. , After shaking the jar, your child can sit and marvel at the movement within, which will soon become slow and serene.
Observing the shimmering liquid can be quite enthralling.
With their attention on the jar, they’ll forget about what it was that upset them in the first place.It will take a few minutes for the glitter to completely settle, during which time your child’s mind and heart rate will stop racing. , Have your child sit or lie down while they’re focused on the jar.
If they’re still anxious or irritable, get them to concentrate on taking deep, relaxing breaths.
Before long, they’ll find their mood settling along with the glitter.Calm down jars work because they subconsciously mirror your child’s emotional state.
They’ll be responding to the behavior of the jar without even being aware of it.
Encourage them to keep the calm down jar in their room or take it with them to a quiet place where they can have a few minutes alone to cool off. -
Step 3: Pour in the glitter glue.
-
Step 4: Add a few drops of food coloring.
-
Step 5: Shake in a little extra glitter.
-
Step 6: Glue the lid into place.
-
Step 7: Make jars in an assortment of colors.
-
Step 8: Add fun glitter shapes.
-
Step 9: Try out different containers.
-
Step 10: Hold the jar in both hands and shake.
-
Step 11: Watch the glitter swirl until it settles.
-
Step 12: Help your child work through their emotions.
Detailed Guide
For your calm down jar, you can start with any safe, transparent container.
Plastic containers will be your best bet, as they’re less likely to break and cause accidents.
The container you go with should have a solid one-piece lid or cap that screws on and stays put.Mason jars are a good place to start if you have older children that you trust to handle glass.
Clear plastic containers are safer and better choices for younger individuals.
A quick look through recycling can often yield good results.
Many crafters recommend Voss or SmartWater bottles for their large size and smooth, sturdy construction.
Turn on the tap and run warm water into the jar until it’s about three quarters of the way full.
From here, you’ll add each of the other components individually.
Together, they’ll form a suspension in the water.Warm water will help melt the glue, resulting in a smoother suspension with no noticeable globs or separation.
Leave an inch or two of space at the top of the container so that the glitter mixture has room to move when shaken., Stir the glue to distribute it throughout the water and break up any clumps.
For larger containers, use 1-2 small tubes of glitter glue.
For small calm down jars, a single tube will likely do the trick.Use a toothpick or cotton swab to assist in scraping the glue out of the slender tubes. , Swish the jar gently to help the food coloring diffuse throughout the water-glue mixture.
The amount you use is largely up to you.
Less food coloring will give the jar a bright, translucent look, whereas denser color will produce a mesmerizing galactic swirl.Stir in the food coloring gradually until you reach the desired shade.
Be careful not to add too much color.
This will darken the contents of the jar and make it difficult to see the glitter., Grab an additional tube of extra-fine glitter and funnel it into the opening of the jar.
The glitter is the main attraction of the calm down jar and should be pretty concentrated, so don’t be afraid to use a lot.
You and your child can decide when your calm down jar has just the right level of shimmer.The more glitter you use, the longer it will take to settle.
Play around with different proportions of ingredients to change the speed of the jar., Now that all the necessary components are in place, top off the jar the rest of the way with water, leaving about half an inch of space at the top.
Dab the underside of the lid with a strong adhesive, like super glue or rubber cement.
Twist it firmly into place over the opening of the jar or bottle.
Allow several minutes for the adhesive to take hold.This will keep the lid securely attached to the jar so that there’s no risk of it being pried off by small children or coming dislodged if it’s dropped.
Be careful when handling strong adhesives.
Since there will be glitter everywhere, there’s a lot of potential to make a mess. , Don’t stop at just one calm down jar—create as many as you please! Pick out a few bold complementary colors, or fill each of the jars with a different color and create a rainbow display.
Letting your child gaze at their favorite color will only enhance the calming effect of the jar.Make enough calm down jars for every child in the household to have their own.
This will help prevent stressful arguments over what belongs to who.
Soft colors like blue, pink, green, and lavender are especially soothing., Purchase a special craft glitter to mix in with the regular glitter and glitter glue.
When you shake the jar, you’ll be able to see smiley faces, stars and dinosaurs floating around inside.
This is a great way to add a more personal touch to the jar and encourage your child’s creative interests.Check craft supply stores for unique and interesting types of glitter. , In addition to ordinary jars and bottles, look for other items that might make good calm down jar.
An unused sunscreen or condiment bottle can be cleaned out and turned into a perfect travel-sized calm down jar.
You could also make an oversized version using a repurposed peanut or pickle jar that all the little ones can gather around at once.Make sure the container you select is clear, can be gripped easily and won’t shatter if it’s dropped or thrown.Fill a keychain bottle of hand sanitizer with glitter to give your kids something to play with while you’re grocery shopping. , Vigorously shaking the jar will give your child a physical outlet to blow off steam while they’re still worked up.
They can jostle it as hard as they want for as long as they want until their frustration begins to subside.
When shaken, the liquid inside the jar will shift, causing the glitter to dance in a brilliant cascade.Demonstrate how the jar works and explain that it’s supposed to make you feel better when you’re unhappy.Make sure small children can safely hold and shake the jar themselves.
If not, you can get it started for them. , After shaking the jar, your child can sit and marvel at the movement within, which will soon become slow and serene.
Observing the shimmering liquid can be quite enthralling.
With their attention on the jar, they’ll forget about what it was that upset them in the first place.It will take a few minutes for the glitter to completely settle, during which time your child’s mind and heart rate will stop racing. , Have your child sit or lie down while they’re focused on the jar.
If they’re still anxious or irritable, get them to concentrate on taking deep, relaxing breaths.
Before long, they’ll find their mood settling along with the glitter.Calm down jars work because they subconsciously mirror your child’s emotional state.
They’ll be responding to the behavior of the jar without even being aware of it.
Encourage them to keep the calm down jar in their room or take it with them to a quiet place where they can have a few minutes alone to cool off.
About the Author
Doris Martinez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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