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Holiday candle jars
By DJ
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I made holiday candle jars with my Scouts using the garden supply polymer beads for plants that absorb water and turn into gel. (This also is a good demonstration of changing liquid into solid.) I bought each child a glass| globe bowl and a smaller votive candle holder that would fit inside it (both clear). You fill the globe about a third of the way with water, add up to a teaspoon of the polymer crystals and begin stirring intermittently with a long wooden skewer. In about 10 minutes the crystals start swelling, and you can add waterproof items (beads, glitter, confetti, etc.) as you continue to stir. | |
In about 30-40 minutes the solution will be firm enough to set the votive holder inside (the gel will rise up around it to the globe top) and add a candle. You can skip the candle part and hold down expenses by using the tiny sand art jars and just inserting the decorative beads and a birthday-size candle, or use baby food jars and skip the votive liner and push a small holiday candle into the goop (it's not combustible). For summer school, we used the sand art mini-bottles, patriotic color beads & glitter, and a toothpick flag on top. The polymers are the same as used in disposable diapers; they'll dry out and shrink, but can be easily reconstituted countless times.
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