Ingredients
- 1 clear glass jar with lid, 16 fluid ounces and about 5 inches tall
- 4 cups warm water for mixing and rinsing
- 1/4 cup blue liquid food coloring or washable liquid watercolor
- 1/4 cup purple liquid food coloring or washable liquid watercolor
- 1/4 cup pink liquid food coloring or washable liquid watercolor
- 1/4 cup dark blue liquid food coloring or washable liquid watercolor
- 1 cup white polyester craft cotton or polyester fiberfill
- 4 teaspoons fine iridescent glitter, divided into 1 teaspoon portions
- 4 small disposable cups, 8 fluid ounces each, for colored water
- 1 set measuring cups and measuring spoons
- 1 wooden skewer, 6 inches long, for arranging cotton
- 1 small funnel, 2 inches wide (optional but helpful)
- 1 sheet wax paper, 12 inches by 18 inches, to protect the work surface
- 1 pair disposable nitrile gloves, medium size, optional for keeping dye off your hands
- 1 roll paper towels, 11 inches by 8.5 inches, for drips
- 1 small amount of clear-drying craft glue, about 1 teaspoon, if securing the lid
Instructions
- Cover your table with the 12-by-18-inch sheet of wax paper before you open the colors.
- Wash the 16-fluid-ounce jar and lid with warm soapy water, then rinse them well. Let them dry completely.
- Set out four 8-fluid-ounce cups. Pour 1/4 cup warm water into each cup, then tint one blue, one purple, one pink, and one dark blue.
- Place 1 cup of polyester craft cotton beside the jar and pull it into four loose handfuls.
- Start with the blue water. Add a loose layer of cotton to the bottom of the jar, using the wooden skewer to ease it into the corners.
- Pour in about half of the blue portion, and wait a moment while the color sinks through the fibers.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon glitter over the blue layer, then add more cotton.
- Add the remaining blue water, followed by more cotton, then pour in the 1/4-cup purple portion.
- Repeat the pattern with the pink and dark blue portions: cotton, colored water, 1 teaspoon glitter, then cotton again.
- Pause to inspect the sides and adjust the cotton as needed.
- Wipe the rim and outside of the jar with a damp paper towel, then dry it.
- Add the lid loosely and set the jar upright on the wax paper for 2 to 4 hours.
- For a permanent display jar, place a thin bead of about 1 teaspoon clear-drying craft glue around the lid threads and close the lid.
- After the settling or curing time, turn the jar gently once or twice and place it where you can enjoy the shifting colors.
Notes
Use this project with children age 5 and older when an adult handles the small glitter portions, checks the glass, and supervises every step. Keep the jar on a stable, heat-safe surface.
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
