Glow-in-the-Dark Art Projects To Try This Halloween
For many people, Halloween is the ultimate holiday. It’s perfectly placed in the middle of the fall, full of fun costumes and yummy candy, and you can choose many ways to celebrate. To help get in the Halloween spirit, people of all ages hang up decorations and create fun crafts. The best decorations and crafts are extra spooky because they glow in the dark. If you want the best Halloween decorations, you need to try these glow-in-the-dark art projects. Keep reading to learn what you can make.
Glowing Jack-o’-Lantern Jars
Glowing jack-o-lanterns are a typical Halloween decoration, but jack-o’-lantern jars are a unique twist on this tradition. They also last much longer than their pumpkin cousins. To create these jars, you’ll only need a few supplies.
- Jar(s) of your choice, any size and shape will work, but choose something with a smooth surface.
- Clear glue
- Glow-in-the-dark pigment powder of your choice; any color will work, although lighter colors work better.
- Cup or bowl for mixing
- Mixing device such as a popsicle stick
- Measuring spoon (optional)
- Paintbrush or sponge
- Black permanent marker or paint marker
Clean and dry your jars. As we mentioned above, you can use any jar, but you want them to have a smooth exterior so you can easily draw on the face. If you’re helping young children with this craft, spread out a newspaper or an old tablecloth so you can protect your work surface.
Draw the face on your jack-o’-lantern jar with the black marker. Paint markers tend to work better on glass, but permanent markers will also work. While faces are a traditional choice, you can draw any design you want.
Set the jar down and open the clear glue. Pour your desired amount of glue into the mixing cup or bowl. Open your glow-in-the-dark pigment powder. You can measure your desired amount of powder or pinch the powder out of its container and drop it into the glue until you achieve your desired color. Mix thoroughly in the cup until the color is evenly distributed. Dip your paintbrush or sponge into the colorful glue mixture and spread it on the inside of your jar. Cover the area thoroughly, mixing and adding more colorful glue as needed.
Allow the jar to dry in a sunny spot. This will make the glue dry faster and “charge” the glow-in-the-dark powder.
Turn off the lights or go somewhere dark and see your jar glow! You can use these jars as centerpieces for a Halloween party, porch decorations, or even gifts. Just remember that you or whoever has the jar will need to “charge” it for a few minutes under a light. Once charged, the glow will last for up to 10 hours.
Beautiful Candy Buckets
Many parents worry about their children getting lost in the dark on Halloween. If you help them make a beautiful candy bucket that glows in the dark, you can keep track of them all night long. This is another easy craft that only requires a few supplies.
- Protective cloth or paper
- Candy bucket of your choice
- Glow in the dark pigment powder
- Paint in a color of your choice, although white will work fine
- Mixing cup or bowl
- Mixing device
- Paintbrush or sponge
- Measuring cup (optional)
Place the protective cloth or paper over your work surface so if any paint spills, you won’t have to worry about cleanup, then rinse and dry your candy bucket. Once the candy bucket is ready, pour some paint into the mixing cup and add your glowing pigment powder. Since the glowing pigment powder already has color, you can use white paint, or for a more saturated color, you can use colored paint. You can measure the powder when you add it to the paint, but you don’t have to.
Once the paint and powder are thoroughly combined, dip your brush or sponge into the mixture and start painting the outside of your candy bucket. You can paint a design or paint the bucket a solid color. Let your imagination go wild!
Place the painted bucket in the sun to dry and “charge.” Now the bucket will glow all night long as it’s filled with delicious candy!
Creepy All-Seeing Eyes
The last craft is more of a decoration than the first two and doesn’t have multiple uses, but it will make your yard look creepy and haunted all autumn. This is another simple craft that even your kids can get in on if they want.
To make creepy all-seeing eyes, you’ll need:
- Protective cloth or paper
- Rocks, at least two of similar size
- White paint
- Glow-in-the-dark pigment powder
- Mixing cup
- Mixing device
- Brush or sponge
- Red permanent marker
- Black permanent marker
Rinse and dry your rocks before you start painting so you know you’re not painting over any dirt. Then pour the white paint into your mixing cup or bowl and add the glow-in-the-dark pigment powder of your choice. You can use any color, but since traditional glowing objects are that eerie light green, you may want to choose green. Mix thoroughly.
Once the paint and pigment are mixed, dip your brush or sponge in and use the paint to cover the top of the rock. You can paint the entire rock if you want, but make sure you paint one side, let it dry for a few minutes, then flip it over and paint the other side.
After the paint dries, use the black permanent marker to draw a small circle in the middle of the rock that resembles the pupil of an eye. Use the red marker to draw short, squiggly lines throughout the white part of the rock, so they resemble veins.
Place the rock in the sun after you finish your drawing. This will charge the rock-eye, and then you can place it in your yard so it can glow all night long, scaring anyone who comes across it.
These three glow-in-the-dark art projects to try this Halloween will keep you and your family busy throughout the fall months leading to October 31st. You can do these projects ahead of time and give them as gifts to family and friends, or keep them for yourself for this fun, spooky holiday. If you need glow-in-the-dark pigment powder to get started, we have plenty to offer. You can choose from various colors to find the exact hue you want for any of the projects we’ve described above.
