8.02.2007

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.

12 comments:

  1. this is magical, i love it.

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  2. love this! *steals*

    :)

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  3. Great idea!! especially good for travelling or overnights at grandma's

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  4. I'll ask Mom about firefly's in Utah, but I don't recall seeing them there. I do remember when I was about 4 we drove to NYC (1958), somwhere in the midwest watching firefly's.
    I love your idea! You are the most creative member of our family!
    Dad

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  5. this is a great idea! I like your creativity.

    I also love lightening bugs. never experienced them when I was a kid, but have experienced them with my own kids...I think they are one of the coolest things in God's creation.

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  6. fantastic idea, I wonder if I have any of those stars lying around somewhere - I'd love to try this out :)

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  7. Found you via the Creative Summer pool on Flickr and I'm so glad I did. This idea is perfect for those of us who don't have fireflies in residence.

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  8. This is too cool. I am making one for my son! He has recently become aware of fireflies and loves them so this will be the next best thing.:-)

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  9. I'm thinking about trying these for my son's outdoor wedding tables! Even in the daylight they are sooo pretty! Thanks for sharing
    ;-)

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  10. Thanks for the great idea! You would love living here in Louisville, KY this year. I haven't seen so many fireflies since I was a child. I have no idea why they are so abundant this year!

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