This one isn’t as STEM related as most of our projects, but I think it’s such a cool craft!
We recently made these mini terrarium necklaces when learning about the water cycle.
I still had tons of these tiny jars, so I was brainstorming other possible projects to do with these jars.
That’s when we decided to make these adorable (and super easy) galaxy jar necklaces! It would be a fun craft to go alongside a lesson about space (and add that “A” in STEAM!)
And, when I say these are a really easy craft project for kids, I mean it!
The hardest part was finding either a tiny funnel or eyedropper to get everything into the mini jars.
Without further ado, here’s how to make these galaxy jar necklaces.
Table of Contents
Supplies for the Galaxy Jars
- Mini Jars (I recommend these)
- Cotton balls
- Twine
- Paint (blue & purple)
- Small funnel
- Glitter (extra fine glitter looks best)
Steps
- Mix the paint with 1 part paint, and 2 parts water. You need to water it down significantly. We mixed extra paint. The important part is that it’s watered down so you can easily pour it into the jars.
- Stuff a little bit off cotton balls into the jar so it fills the jar about 1/3 of the way.
- Pour your first color of paint into the jar. Let the cotton ball absorb the paint. Sprinkle a dash of glitter into the jar.
- Create another layer by repeating the process. Stuff another small bit of cotton into the jar. Cover with paint and a layer of glitter. We did two layers in our jar. You can do up to three in small jars of this size.
- (Optional step) Use a hot glue gun to glue the cork in place to prevent any spills!
- Put an eye hook into the top of the cork and thread the twine to turn it into a necklace.
And that’s it! This one is so simple. Once you’ve gathered up the supplies, you could finish this art project in 10 minutes and make more for gifts!
Helpful Tips
We had a few failed attempts that aren’t pictured here! Everything doesn’t turn out perfect the first time. Here’s a few helpful tips when making your galaxy jars:
- You can use food coloring too, but paint looks best! You still have to dilute the food coloring significantly. The cotton ball absorbs the food coloring better than the paint, so make sure you really stuff cotton balls in their tightly if you use food coloring.
- Use extra fine glitter. We also had regular glitter on hand, but it didn’t have the same “space-y” effect. The extra fine silver glitter was beautiful!
- Find a small eye dropper for the least about of mess! You’ll still need a funnel for the glitter though. First time we made it, we poured the paint mixture directly into the jar with a funnel. It’s difficult to get it filled precisely, so we ended up over filling the jar with this method.
Wrapping Up
These galaxy jars would be a great craft for kids to do in association with a lesson on space. The colors and swirls are a perfect entry for talking about the galaxy!
We still have some of these tiny jars left! Do you have any other crafts you would recommend? I’d love for you to share your ideas!
