Mini Glow Paint Night Lights

Project Envolve is a group of PA bloggers who have partnered with PPL Electric Utilities to help share energy-saving ideas–and after a brief hiatus–we’re back in action for 2017! For our first mission of the year, our team of ambassadors has been given the Power Hour Challenge. In a nutshell, that means spending an hour without using any power, and seeing if maybe our readers will do the same! It’s something everyone can do to cut energy usage, and it’s a great way to get into the habit of looking for fun family activities that don’t require electricity or rely on a screen.

I am a Project Envolve ambassador and receive product and/or compensation for my participation. All opinions and ideas are 100% my own.

So what does this mom do when the power is off limits? Well, actually, we might be tempted to read, but in an effort to make quality togetherness happen, WE CRAFT! Some of my favorite times with my kids are spent crafting, and I tend to rely a lot on items we just happen to have around. Since my 7-year-old is kind of currently obsessed with all things that glow, our Power Hour Challenge just HAD to incorporate some glow-in-the-dark fun. “Lights out” and “glow in the dark” kind of go hand in hand, don’t you think?

Mini Glow Paint Night Lights

These colorful little glow paint night lights only takes a few supplies, and they’re really easy for the kids to make with a little supervision.

Supplies to gather:

• Empty spice jars (glass or plastic) with labels removed
• various colors of fluorescent or glow-in-the-dark paint (note: If you choose fluorescent paint, you’ll need a black light to make it glow. If you choose glow-in-the-dark paint, you’ll need to charge it by a light to make it glow.)
• baby oil
• water
• thin duct tape or glue

 

Glow paint is kind of amazing. If you stir it into hot water until it dissolves, the water will glow! This sparks a million craft ideas by itself, but I’ll try not to digress too much. We made a batch of these night lights with only a bit of paint, and they didn’t glow very much – so I recommend about 3-4 Tablespoons of paint per cup of hot water. Stir it well, and it will be dissolved in a minute or so. Then, simply fill your jar/container with 2 parts baby oil to one part colored water.

The amount of water and oil you’ll need will depend entirely on the jars you use. I used Great Value brand from Walmart, because the labels come off easily. You can also use jam jars, small mason jars, baby food jars, or any others you might have around.

Upcycling during Power Hour earns you eco-friendly bonus points.

The water and oil will separate, lava lamp-style, so it’s fun to swirl and shake even when it’s not glowing in the dark. Swirl it a lot, and you might even be able to stir up a twirly little tornado inside.

Because we all know how apt things are to spill around kiddos, we sealed our jars off with some pretty printed duct tape. You could glue it, too. Just make sure that lid won’t come off! 

Then, wait until the sun goes down and send the kids outside to catch fireflies or off to bed with their mini glow paint night lights.

For more energy-saving tips and inspiration, visit Project Envolve online. It’s a how-to hub for all things energy-friendly!

Do you make a point of unplugging with the family? If so, please share how you get the kids on board!