Catch a Falling Star and Put It In a Jar

I love glass jars. I am always looking for ways to use them in order to justify keeping so many. No jam, bruschetta, pickle or peanut butter jar goes un-reused at our house. In addition to housing buttons, cotton swabs, whole grains, and leftovers, I have come up with a new use for glass jars: a low tech night light.

Find a jar and lid. With a nail and hamer, poke several holes in the lid.

String glow in the dark stars with clear thread or fishing line. The more stars, the brighter the glow. Feed strings through the bottom of the lid, put the lid on the jar, and adjust the position of the stars inside the jar by pulling the string from the top. Tape the strings in place.

Cut a generous circle of fabric to cover the top of the jar and hold fabric in place with a string or ribbon. Place jar in a sunny location all day to allow the stars to charge. Wait for dark and watch your star jar glow.

I long to live in a place where fireflies light the night sky along with a multitude of stars. My children and I would certainly enjoy nature's light show. I think I saw fireflies once, many years ago, at my great grandmother's farm house. I remember running around her huge yard, chasing the little bugs with my big cousins. It may have been just a dream, though, for I don't know if fireflies even live in Utah. These star jars are a far cry from catching fireflies in jars, but I hope they provide my little ones with enough light at night to have sweet dreams.