Calm down jars are a must-have when there are children around, so I’m sharing six ways or recipes on how to make a calm down jar or glitter jar or some call it a mindfulness jar. I want to give you six recipes here so that you can choose which one works best for you, or you can try them all.
They provide healthy and effective ways for little ones to help soothe themselves, calm down, take deep breaths, and work through their emotions. I am always looking for effective calming techniques, and calm down bottles are just one tool in my toolkit.
I also use them in our play kitchen or in our quiet area or library area. Overall, they are just beautiful.
We call them “sparkle bottles” and glitter bottles in my preschool. They are the perfect addition to my preschool curriculum!
Since some locations have different or limited ingredients, I’m hoping that everyone can find one of these ways useful. Who knows, you may have all the ingredients in your home already to make one!
Get the best learning activities for 3-5 year olds at your fingertips
Most of these products I found at my local grocery store or craft store for a much better deal than online. Liquid watercolor is not widely available though. You can find it easily online through Discount School Supply or Amazon
. Some school supply stores and craft stores have recently started carrying them. I would call ahead before making a trip though!
6 Ways to Make a Calm Down Jar
Or a glitter jar, or glitter water bottle, or glitter mason jar, or glitter bottle. Whatever you call it :).
Truth be told these are actually calm down bottles because I used plastic bottles instead of glass jars. I share all about what to choose in How to Make a Perfect Sensory Bottle.
Materials
You’ll need the following ingredients for all of these bottles.
- Clean Voss Plastic Bottles
also available at many grocery stores (I write about all the places I’ve seen them in How to Make a Perfect Sensory Bottle) - Hot water
- Mixing Bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout to easily put it in the calm down jar)
- Whisk
- Liquid Watercolor (here’s how to DIY Liquid Watercolor) or Food Coloring
- Fine Glitter
A note about glitter: You can use fine glitter or chunky glitter or any kid of glitter. Whatever catches your eye will look beautiful!
Using glitter glue instead of fine glitter can cause the glitter to float longer, so keep that in mind when making your bottle. I would recommend putting glitter glue in with the hot water if that is the ingredient you choose.
Love the Calm Down Jars? You can also take a peek at my color mixing sensory bottles!
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Glue
Additional Ingredients:
This calm down jar is one of the most affordable bottles to make. I bought the glue on sale, but even at regular price, it’s still a good deal. If you choose not to use Elmer’s glue, it may change the proportions needed. This sparkle bottle has a nice flow to it, and it provides about 3 to 4 minutes of glittery amusement. When you first shake it, it will have some nice swirls and then the glitter gently disperses. I put black glitter fine glitter in this one, so it’s fun to watch it transform to a completely different color.
Proportions: Since all bottles are different sizes, I’m breaking this down into proportions instead of specifics. If your calm down bottle does not work with these proportions, the troubleshooting guide at the bottom will help you figure out how to save your bottle. Allow for a little bit of room at the top in case you need more water or glue. If you have to add more, you should be able to shake it at that point and have it blend easily.
This calm down jar is made with about 20% glue, 80% water, and as much glitter as desired.
Make it: Pour Elmer’s clear glue and hot water into the mixing bowl, along with some Liquid Watercolor or food coloring, and glitter. Now mix with the whisk. When everything is blended, mix vigorously then pour right away into the water bottle. The last stir helps get the glitter to transfer to the water bottle instead of settling in the mixing bowl. I just add a bit more hot water to the mixing bowl if there is some that is stuck. Then I clean the residual glitter out with a paper towel before rinsing and cleaning it out.
Feel free to put the lid on and shake away to make sure your calm down jar is working its magic. If your bottle isn’t functioning quite right, see the troubleshooting guide below. After your bottle is just the way you like it, let it cool without the lid. Once it has cooled, I put the lid back on and secure it with hot glue or super glue.
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Elmer’s Glitter Glue
Additional Ingredients:
Updated Note: This is the hardest calm down jar to make by far. I would consider this calm down jar “expert level.” If you want one that is easy, avoid this one. If you are a sensory bottle pro, then you’ll enjoy the challenge!
This bottle reminds me of the galaxy when I look at it. It even requires one less ingredient since you don’t even need to color the water, unlike all the other calm down jars. It also caused me the most problems, but I think I’ve worked out all the kinks so you can successfully do yours without the hassle. I like to call this the “long-lasting calm down jar” because the glitter suspends for over an hour. This bottle has only a tiny bit of swirl initially then the glitter just floats…for what seems like forever!
Proportions: Elmer’s glitter glue is super strength, so start with less. If you use different glitter glue, it will make a completely different calm down jar with results that may not be similar to this. With that said, if you want to use regular glitter glue, I say go for it and let me know how yours turns out!
In my jar, my proportions were 20% Elmer’s glitter glue and 80% water. As long as you leave room at the top, you can always add more Elmer’s glitter glue or water if needed.
Make it: Mix the glitter glue and hot water with the whisk in a container. Then stir in some extra glitter. Pour the mixture into the empty water bottle and let the water come to room temperature before sealing the lid on. If you cannot get the glitter to fall down, you will need to water it down. If you need to add more glitter glue, you can put some in the small space you left at the top. As long as the water is still warm, it should mix together fairly well with some good shaking.
This bottle is incredibly beautiful and was worth all the extra work it took me to figure it out. And don’t forget to super glue the lid on once it’s as beautiful as you want it to be.
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Corn Syrup
Additional Ingredients:
Karo Light Corn Syrup (Clear colored)
I’m not going to be mean and make you wait until the end to hear about my favorite. This is the one I love the most! The glitter suspends for about four and a half minutes, and it has the long-lasting swirls that I just love to watch. There’s even a quick video of it on my Instagram account that you can watch.
It’s not the cheapest, but it’s well worth it to me. We’ve had ours for over two years, and I still can’t get enough of it. I’m also much better at sharing it :).
My Alphabet Calm Down Jar is also made of corn syrup if you are looking for another use!
Proportions: My jar is 1/3 corn syrup and 2/3 water which is also combined with a small container of glitter glue (from the dollar store)! There is not fine glitter in this jar because when I made it I didn’t have any at the time. From other reader’s comments, it sounds that fine glitter is not the best option for this bottle unless you add some dish soap. See the troubleshooting tips below because the glitter can stick together at the top.
Corn syrup is not available worldwide. It is sold in the baking aisle of the store if you do have it.
Make it: Mix corn syrup, hot water, glitter, and Liquid Watercolor and whisk together. When everything is blended, mix vigorously then pour right away into the water bottle. The last stir helps get the glitter to transfer to the water bottle instead of settling in the mixing bowl. I just add a bit more hot water to the mixing bowl if there is some that is stuck. Then I clean the residual glitter out with a paper towel before rinsing and cleaning it out.
Feel free to put the lid on and shake away to make sure your calm down jar is working its magic. Then I leave the lid off until the water lowers to the room temperature. If your bottle isn’t functioning quite right, see the troubleshooting guide below. After your bottle is just the way you like it, let it cool without the lid. Once it has cooled, I put the lid back on and secure it with hot glue or super glue.
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Tacky Glue
Additional Ingredients:
This bottle also has the long-lasting swirls that are similar to the ones in bottle #3. The glitter suspends for about three minutes, and this one is always so fun to watch. Clear tacky glue is not sold at many grocery stores, so you may want to look for it at a craft store. I found mine at Wal-Mart in the craft section.
Proportions: My bottle is 1/4 tacky glue and 3/4 water.
Make it: Pour clear tacky glue and hot water into the mixing bowl, along with some Liquid Watercolor or food coloring, and glitter. Now mix with the whisk. When everything is blended, mix vigorously then pour right away into the water bottle. The last stir helps get the glitter to transfer to the water bottle instead of settling in the mixing bowl. I just add a bit more hot water to the mixing bowl if there is some that is stuck. Then I clean the residual glitter out with a paper towel before rinsing and cleaning it out.
Feel free to put the lid on and shake away to make sure your calm down jar is working its magic. Then I leave the lid off until the water lowers to the room temperature. If your bottle isn’t functioning quite right, see the troubleshooting guide below. After your bottle is just the way you like it, let it cool without the lid. Once it has cooled, I put the lid back on and secure it with hot glue or super glue.
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Liquid Soap
Additional Ingredients:
Softsoap (clear liquid hand soap)
I get the clear kind in bulk from Costco since we use it on a regular basis, or this would work if you need to find something smaller online: Softsoap Hand Soap
This recipe is great because I know that lots of family child care providers, preschools, and daycares use this type of soap and have it on hand, and it is sold in bulk at Costco. I’m not sure if other brands will work the same way, unfortunately, but if you try it, please let me know! This calm down bottle is fun because the glitter flows extra fast, and it still has the swirling effect. This bottle suspends the glitter for about a minute. If you want it to last longer, just add a bit of corn syrup or glue from one of the other bottles.
Proportions: Half of this bottle is Softsoap and the other half is water.
Make it: Mix the Softsoap, water, Liquid Watercolor, and glitter together. When everything is blended, whisk vigorously then pour right away into the water bottle. The last stir helps get the glitter to transfer to the water bottle instead of settling in the mixing bowl. I just add a bit more hot water to the mixing bowl if there is some that is stuck. Then I clean the residual glitter out with a paper towel before rinsing and cleaning it out.
Feel free to put the lid on and shake away to make sure your calm down jar is working its magic. Then I leave the lid off until the water lowers to the room temperature. If your bottle isn’t functioning quite right, see the troubleshooting guide below. After your bottle is just the way you like it, let it cool without the lid. Once it has cooled, I put the lid back on and secure it with hot glue or super glue.
How to Make a Calm Down Jar with Glycerine
Additional Ingredients:
This bottle has very similar effects to the Softsoap bottle. It has some swirling and then lots of floating. Mine suspends the glitter for about a minute and a half. If you would like to increase that time, you could use more glycerine or add glue. I completely ran out of glycerin, otherwise, I would have added more. This was also tricky to find at the store. I special ordered mine from a pharmacy, but next time I would just order from Amazon because it’s much more affordable than my special order was!
Proportions: My calm down jar was 1/3 glycerin and 2/3 water.
Make it: Mix the glycerin and hot water together with a whisk in a mixing bowl along with food coloring or Liquid Watercolor and glitter.
When everything is blended, whisk vigorously then pour right away into the water bottle. The last stir helps get the glitter to transfer to the water bottle instead of settling in the mixing bowl. I just add a bit more hot water to the mixing bowl if there is some that is stuck. Then I clean the residual glitter out with a paper towel before rinsing and cleaning it out.
Feel free to put the lid on and shake away to make sure your calm down jar is working its magic. Then I leave the lid off until the water lowers to the room temperature. If your bottle isn’t functioning quite right, see the troubleshooting guide below. After your bottle is just the way you like it, let it cool without the lid. Once it has cooled, I put the lid back on and secure it with hot glue or super glue.
Glitter Bottle FAQs
Choosing the best water bottle
I love the sleek look of the Voss Plastic Bottles
. It has a nice big opening so that you could add objects to it. The lid is the same size as the base, so a child can easily flip it over and over. They are not readily available everywhere though. If you get the extra tall one, it’s quite a bit heavier. I dropped bottle #3 the first day I made it, and the lid broke. Ours is still useable, but it’s just something to keep in mind. You can find my top bottle recommendations in this post which is all about How to Make a Perfect Sensory Bottle.
Other sleek bottles from the grocery store also work well. You can find bottles in all sizes, and I especially love making the tiny sized ones for infants and toddlers! My calm down jar #1 is a Smart Water bottle, and #3 is the large VOSS bottle.
I prefer the plastic containers, but I know many people who use the glass ones. In a classroom setting, I would highly recommend plastic, but in a home, I think it’s just best to know your own child and make that call.
Troubleshooting Help
The glitter is not moving. If this happens to you, then you have put in too much glue, glitter glue, or corn syrup. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add more hot water then whisk away. Pour it back into the jar once it’s as fast as you would like. Then you might have enough extra for an additional small calm down jar. Keep in mind that Elmer’s glitter glue is really slow. If you want the glitter in your bottle to fall in a couple of minutes, I wouldn’t go that route.
The glitter collects at the top. I had an awesome reader submit this problem! If your glitter collects at the top, a few drops of dish soap should help. To read more about this problem and to see what it look like, visit Momma Owl’s Lab to read her post on Glitter Jars. Additionally, use Make It Glitter instead of regular glitter.
My solution is globby and clumpy. In this case, you need to blend all the ingredients together more. Sometimes vigorous shaking can help with this. If it doesn’t, you need to warm the solution because the water was not warm enough. Pour the solution into a saucepan on very low while stirring regularly for about five to ten minutes. You’ll see the different parts become more uniform and then you’ll know it’s done. Pour it back into the bottle when it looks blended.
My glitter falls too fast. If you want your glitter to stay afloat a little longer, add some corn syrup or glue to your bottle. That will slow the process down with very little effort.
There are no swirls. If you desire extra swirls, the corn syrup or the clear tacky glue should do the trick. Just add some of that to your bottle, and the swirls will be on their way.
Can I Alter These Recipes?
Absolutely! You could mix a little bit of this and that from the above recipes to make your own unique concoction. That’s part of the fun in making a calm down jar. I’d love to hear about it if you made a combination of these ingredients and how it turned out.
I hope these recipes will be just what you need on how to make a calm down jar!
Related Posts:
Follow Katie | Preschool Inspiration’s Discovery Bottles board on Pinterest.
More Calm Down Jars
Would you like to see more? Visit these other bloggers and see their amazing calm down jars:
LEGO Calm Down Jar from Lemon Lime Adventures
Glowing Sensory Bottle for Bedtime from Kids Activities Blog
Relaxation Jars from Play Dr. Mom
Relax Bottle from My Crazy Blessed Life
Hush Bottle from In Lieu of Preschool
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What a WONDERFUL post! I love how you’ve included the 6 different ways … AND some troubleshooting! Thanks SO much for including a link to my post as well!
I’m so glad you have enjoyed it, PlayDrMom! Your post has such great and helpful tips about working with glitter glue :). It’s a pleasure to have you visit!
Hey Katie!
You are wonderful! I am gonna try this this weekend! I have a doubt……. Can u use only glue, hot water, glitter and soap dish? like leaving out the glycerine/food coloring/corn syrup?
You can definitely leave out any and all of those things. I love the colored ones, but I bet a clear one would still be pretty. Glue will suspend the glitter longer than soap, but I have never tried them both together :). Keep us updated!
I used glitter glue and soap! So just the glitter glue was collecting on top, but the soap made it fall right away. Just be careful not to use too much like I did! It creates a lot of bubbles. Corn syrup helped slow it down, but not the much. It’s possible it was the glue I used since it was just dollar store glue. Maybe a higher quality glue will work better next time. The child I’m making it for likes shaking things so how long it takes to settle isn’t the biggest deal in my case. Hope that helps!
Oh great tips! Thanks for sharing. It seems that the glitter glue gives problems and trouble more than anything else. I am so glad you got your modified calm down jar to work!
I totally agree! I’ve been looking all over the internet to find the best recipe and you listed a number of various choices. THANK YOU!!
Blessings to you.
Dana
So glad I could help, Dana!
Love love love! These are awesome! Thank you so much for including our Lego jar!
Thank you, Dayna! We adore them too, and your Lego jar is the coolest!
Thank you! I’ve never seen Voss bottles. I love the shape, much more like commercial calm down jars and easy to hold with two hands.
VOSS are definitely my favorite, Marie! They’re becoming more readily available, and all of the grocery stores around me carry them now.
I love this idea. I have an almost 4 year old! This would be a perfect project! Thank you! I am sharing on my FB Blog page!
I hope you and your sweetie had a wonderful time making them. And thank you so much for sharing, Crystal!
Made four of these today. I love them more than the kids! Super easy! Wish I could share a picture.
I love that you made four, Nadine!!! We’d love to see a photo if you’d like to post it on my fb page :).
Would it work to add some corn syrup to the first option? Our local MOPs group is going to be making these as our craft soon, and I’d like to go the cheaper route since we will be making quite a few. But, I like the idea of more swirls! Thanks!
I think you could add corn syrup to any of them :). What a wonderful MOPS activity! I hope you all love them.
I tried the Elmer’s Glitter Glue version (the purple bottle) like 8 different times today. The “extra glitter” (I used fine glitter, in varied proportions with every attempt) just floated to the top, and the glitter glue only sort-of floated to the bottom, even after I put so much water in the bottle that the glitter was pretty sparse. Suuuuch a bummer. 🙁
Oh no, Gina! I can completely relate to being frustrated with this calm down jar. It is definitely the trickiest and most difficult. If you still have your glitter glue concoction, use my method to blend it with the sauce pan on the stove and see if that does the trick. That’s what I had to do to salvage mine. And the glitter does suspend for a loooong time. It takes hours for mine to fall down. None of the other bottles gave me nearly the trouble if you are up to trying one of them.
I’m wanting to make #3, but have to order the supplies. When you say a small bottle of glitter glue, how small? Can’t wait to try it!
I really do love these calm down jars I’m planning on doing them for school. So I have some questions, what is 20% and 80% measured out and if you use glitter paint do you use liquid food coloring
Hi Sweetypie! They are so fun, so I hope you can make some great ones :). The measurements are in percentages because every bottle is a different size, so I really cannot say what the precise amounts would be in your case. As long as you are close, the bottle should still work! And I haven’t ever tried paint instead of liquid water coloring, but I’d love to hear if it works!
I made a bunch at the beginning of the school year, one for my own kiddo and three for my first graders. I really liked staples ‘ colored glitter glue, and a sample pack of fine glitter in multiple colors and shapes..in addition to the clear glue….I love when one of my firsties is having a bad day, their classmates grab them one of these first thing to help them calm down!
Hi there I made the solution with corn syrup, hot water and glitter. I could only find fine glitter locally. I mixed it all my ingredients and the glitter all collected on the top. I heated it in a sauce pan and still the same issue, its all collected on the top 🙁 any other ideas?
Ugh! I’m so sorry the glitter is stuck! I’m wondering if it’s the type of glitter you have. If you send me a photo by messaging me on facebook, I might be able to help you out better :).
Hello! I’m a school therapist and I’m hoping to make a few of these for the upcoming year. I love option 3 and I’m wondering if it would work to make different proportions (1/3 to 2/3, then 1/2 to 1/2, etc) to make the glitter float for a shorter or longer time. I hope I worded that well!
Hi Caitlyn! I hope your kiddos love this! You can definitely vary the corn syrup and water, and it should do that. I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know the exact results. Otherwise, if you make the ones with glycerin or soap, those I know are definitely quicker at letting the glitter fall. Enjoy!
Still trying to figure mine out but super excited with all the tips and trouble shooting. I learned from my work you can use a hairdryer to melt or loosen the label on anything, it will just peel right off.
Thank you so much for this post! I’d seen so many variations across the internet, I was too overwhelmed to start. It’s so nice to have a good variety in one place so I can choose one and make it! Your pictures and descriptions are super-helpful!
I am so glad it was helpful, Minnow Mom! I think everyone needs a calm down jar ;).
I can’t find the Voss water bottles anywhere. Do you have an alternate bottle type?
Hi Marsha! Anything with sleek sides would work well! They usually have flavored water in them at the store. Just use anything you find to be inviting, and you’ll be set :).
Voss bottles are the BEST for calm down bottles and can be ordered on Amazon by the case.
I tried this today, with the glitter glue method (I’m still hunting for the other ingredients) and I got bubbles on shaking. I got suspended glitter too but because of the bubbles and I’m a bit reluctant to add dish soap and get…. More bubbles. Do you scoop the bubbles out?
Hi Claire! The glitter glue one is definitely tricky. I’ve not had bubbles from it, but it does do weird things from time to time! Suggestions that I’ve heard from others about this bottle (but not specifically bubbles) is to whisk it again or to heat up the water super hot. I use boiling water in fact. Try those, and hopefully they will help. If not, any other bottle will have less trouble! Best of luck to you!
Thanks Katie. I eventually sorted it out (one of them at least). I used boiling water initially so that wasn’t part of the solution. I used dish soap in one and it did stop the floating and give me a nice clean line where the water settled but it created way too many bubbles and trying to get them out ultimately killed that bottle. The other bottle I didn’t do dish soap but added more water, cut out the air and squeezed out the bubbles each time after vigorous shaking. I read somewhere (maybe here) that you get bubbles when you use washable glitter glue. My bottle didn’t say it was washable but it may have been. I also read something about air and putting more water into my bottle (thereby reducing air space) seemed to be part of the solution too and, in the end, gave me the nice sharp line that I got more quickly with the dish soap. It ended up in a bottle that was too thin for the time I wanted (settling too fast) but now I have the idea I can try again. I also got some glycerol and glucose syrup today. No lucky of clear tacky glue around here.
I am so thrilled that you figured it out. Thank you for taking the time to share your tips here to help others :).
I’ve had the same floating problem with glycerine and glucose syrup formulas so I’m going to have to try a different type of glitter. I’ve been using fine/regular but I will try glitter glue or the bottles with bigger bits to see if that helps. I tried adding a lot of glitter so the floating didn’t matter as much and thats when I first say the awesome swirling but I lost them when I syphoned out the bubbles. There’s obviously a lot more science involved that just viscosity.
well, this was harder than I had anticipated. The glue made the water milky (I imagine it was too much of it) and trying to replicate the corn syrup recipe, my glitter only was suspended for 40 seconds or so. After reading the link to Momma Owl’s Lab post, I was able to tweak the batch I had already made and salvage it, I am making 4 jars as gifts to my co-workers (we are therapists). I added pretty much everything she suggested until it all came together, so I am not sure I could recreate it. I added salt, soap, and a ton more corn syrup. Now the glitter takes about 2 minutes to fall and makes beautiful swirls.
Thank you so much for the post and the great ideas.
What a thoughtful gift!! I’m so glad you could make them all work. I think the Make It Glitter solution really makes things a lot easier. I will be adding on a SUPER easy way to make a calm down jar here soon…like 10 seconds easy!
I had similar problems Angela and I too hope to make them for the therapy room, once I have refined the technique. I think they will be great when clients need to calm down, be mindful or wait while you duck out to copy something. For what it’s worth, I would the glyercine formula the most successful. Glitter was suspended for about 3 minutes in the end. I don’t have access to make it glitter so that was as good as it was going to get.
Did any one find that their karo ones went … off? I did mine with glucose syrup which is a local equivalent and I left one with the lid unglued because I was still refining the consistency I wanted. Within about a week it smelt really odd (and not in a good way) and was making a gas. Are the sealed ones likely to explode at some point?
Lol were they left in a warm room? I’m guessing they’re fermenting somehow, wild yeast from the air could have gotten in. Glitter wine anyone?
Thanks so much for posting. I think your green tacky glue bottle is amazing, what glitter colors/sizes did you use to get such a great effect? I’d guess green liquid watercolor with fine gold and larger green glitter? Your photography really makes all your bottles look excellent. Can’t wait to make!
Thank you so much, Farin! It’s green liquid watercolor with just silver fine glitter. The glitter does definitely look gold once it mixes with the green though. Isn’t that so cool! You have a great eye for detail. Enjoy making yours!
I tried the one with tacky glue and got a lot of foam :(. Did I add too much water or glue? The foam will eventually settle after a long while. Thanks again for posting this!
I think you have too much glue (although I could be wrong). This is what I would do to find out for sure. After shaking your bottle and getting all of the ingredients nice and mixed up, pour half of it into another bottle. Then add more water to one of them and see if it helps. And of course if it doesn’t, you’ll know that you need to add more glue. I definitely have foam in my bottle, but it’s all covered by the silver lid. I hope this helps and good luck :). Let us know what you find out!
Thank you so much for this wonderful article! I made 5 bottles (out of an intended 6) with the glitter glue for my kids. 2 bottles per floor, one for my son, one for my daughter! My son is on the spectrum (high functioning) and my daughter is right in the turmoil of being a toddler, so I wanted something to help them calm down on their own. When I got around to making bottle #6, I decided to try making the clear hand soap version. I need to tweak it a bit to make the glitter settle more slowly, but that’s my favourite one! I’ve decided to re-make the other 5 bottles with the soap, so I donated the first “batch” to my son’s teacher. Hopefully they’ll help the other autistic kids in his class calm down too! And an added bonus to these bottles is that my kids know that their time-out is done “when the sparkles all go to the bottom” and they can get up when that happens. No more need for me to be looming over them, telling them to stay put! lol
I LOVE that you donated some, Adrienne! I think the class will absolutely benefit from them. How fun to hear the one that you liked the best. I’m super impressed you made them all. Thank you for the lovely comment :).
How do you get the VOSS silkscreen info off of the bottle so it is totally clear?
The plastic bottle has a label that you can just peel off. Do you have a glass one?
Hi Katie,
Thanks a lot for such a detailed post. I read the post completely and then decided which one was going to be the easiest way to make it. I zeroed in on the method that uses the clear glue. I got all my ingredients (glue, food colour, bottle and glitter) and within a few minutes I had an amazingly satisfying calming bottle. My daughter even helped me in making it and now she is demanding for more different coloured ones 🙂 I too can’t help but oblige they are so so pretty.
One small tip for those who used bottles that had labels on them. Fill the bottle completely with water and then soak it in a bucket/mug filled with water for an hour or so. Take it out and peel off whatever part of the label you can with your hands. The stubborn and sticky part of the label can then be removed easily using an old toothbrush and a little quantity of liquid hand wash.
I stumbled upon your website just before I was about to spend a lot on one of the bottles online. The cost was almost a hundered and fifty times more(in Indian Rupees) than what the raw materials cost me. Also, making it myself gave me and my daughter some quality time to spend together. Thanks one again for this post.
Great suggestion! I adore that you enjoyed making this with your daughter. You sound like an amazing mother :). Enjoy and thanks for the comment.
Hey KatieI
because I did not want to spent so much money to order Corn Syrup online, I mixed a lot of Sugar into a little water (maybe 80/20 to begin with, I didnt measure) and ot really good results. Depending on the amount of the later added water, the flow was really slow up to eternal 😉 and the liquid became in a few hours nice and clear.
It also took some hours for the glitter to really mix with the fluid.
I can send by occasion some fotos if you like.
That is wonderful to hear! I love how creative you got and took a risk!! So cool! I’d love to see a photo :).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fgnmutk3i3n7br4/glitzerflasche%20mov%202.MOV?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v8lipd1qeo8rxpb/Glitzerflasche%20mov.MOV?dl=0
Love these! Thanks for sharing!
On the corn syrup glitter bottles, how much liquid watercolor do you use?
I started with a teaspoon and went from there, but I made it sooo long ago that I don’t remember the exact amount.
I tried the corn syrup bottle and used food coloring instead of liquid watercolors. The glitter is dropping more quickly than I’d like so I added a little more corn syrup, but still not enough to slow down the glitter. If I want to add a larger quantity of corn syrup, do I need to heat up the contents again before adding? I’m not sure they will blend together and I’ll end up with a goopy mess inside of my jar.
I feel that the corn syrup is fairly forgiving! It will take some time for your corn syrup to mix together (perhaps a day), but I think it should be fine :). Good luck!
I put letter beads, softsoap hand soap and clear dish soap together and the beads take a very long time to fall. I have replaced a lot of the hand soap with the dish soap but it hasn’t really helped. Do you have any ideas that could make the beads fall a bit faster? I wanted to try to stay away from adding water to this one because I didn’t want the bubbles.
That sounds so cool, Rena! My favorite way to use beads is actually with corn syrup or oil. You can always add more water and scoop out the bubbles though. I’ve had to do that before, and it works well :).
I’ve read all of your posts, but didn’t see anything recipes using oil. I have made several bottles using glow in the dark glue,,,it’s really cool. My great-granddaughter lives with me along with her mom, dad, and, or course, great-granddaddy! With the five of us along with four cats and three dogs in a small house, we ALL need a calm bottle from time to time. I’ve made several for the day care, but would like to make five different kinds. Basically, a different kind for each of us. After reading your article, I think I have all of the recipes I need, but would still like to see a recipe with oil. Thanks so much!
Debra, You must love these as much as we do! My newest calm down bottle is made of oil. I think you’ll love it! It’s my Galaxy Calm Down Bottle.
You are amazeballs! We’re hosting the craft for our homeschool co-op and I put off ordering the clear glue for our calming bottles until the last minute. I’ve been researching alternatives this morning and this post was like hitting gold! Corn syrup is the clear (see what I did there?) winner. Thank you so much for saving my procrastinating tail. 🙂
This totally made my day, Carrie!! I hope it went awesome. Corn syrup is such an amazing option :).
I made 12 of these for a 4/5 year old Bible class take home tonight. We were learning about self-control and calming down before you do or say something that might hurt someone when you’re angry. I used smaller 12 oz water bottles for their little hands (and to save on supplies). They were so mesmerized! It’s the quietest class we’ve had all quarter :).
Oh, I LOVE this! Such a great character point too! I also made some for my church. I think they are a perfect addition for any child-centered program. I especially love that you made them for the children to take home <3.
I made these with elmers clear glue and Martha Stewart fine glitter from amazon. I also bought watercolor paint off amazon. They turned out awesome. Look just like the picture! Also if you buy a 12 case of the voss water bottles and the 12 pack of MS glitter from amazon you can make one of each color and then keep them in the water case for storage 🙂 Great tutorial!
Thank you for this very nice idea!
I have one question about glitter/micro plastic. I wonder, how to throw this away, when the time comes, so that glitter doesn’t end up in our watersystem?
Do you have some idea, how to get glitter out easily?
Environmental tips could be a nice add to your lovely posts.
Hey Hannele, not sure if you still need this info three years later, but you can line a mesh strainer with a paper towel or coffee filter and then pour out your bottle. The paper towel/filter will trap the majority, if not all, of the glitter.
I am hoping to make this with my kids yoga class and have question about what I can prepare ahead of class. Can I mix the hot water and glue ahead the night before for them and just pour it into their jars at room temperature the next day? I worry about the jars being too hot and there is no hot water tap at the school.
First, thank you for all the tried and true recipes! Naturally, kiddo decided he wanted one that glows in the dark. I’ve made two attempts now, and we aren’t happy with either — in the dark, that is. In the light, they’re both beautiful and work great. But he isn’t interested in them since they don’t glow! They both involve clear tacky glue, your DIY liquid watercolor, and glow-in-the-dark fine glitter, along with some colored fine glitter. The first attempt also involved glow-in-the-dark glitter glue. This had the effect of killing the swirls from the tacky glue. It does glow in the dark slightly, but only the liquid, and no glitter is visible at all while it settles. The second attempt skipped the glow glue (the swirls are back!) and tripled the glow glitter — and produced ZERO glow! It’s also foamy on top, which seemed to happen as I kept adding glow glitter — grrrr!! Is there a secret underwater glow glitter that I don’t know about?
Your little guy is so creative! I would LOVE a glow in the dark one too! That’s brilliant :). I’ll keep my eye out for sure, and if you find a way to make it work, we’d love to hear about it!
Thanks for this! I made one using your instructions (Elmer’s glitter glue version). It turned out great! For mine, instead of adding glitter, I added star shaped confetti. Works well 🙂
Star shaped confetti is so fun! Enjoy your calm down bottle :).
I have a couple of quick questions about the Corn Syrup Jar (sorry, I’ve never done this before and I just want to make sure I understand and have all the ingredients on hand before I start.):
How small is a small bottle of glitter glue?
Would this work? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XHW3K6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Or should it be colored glitter glue? How much of a 4oz bottle would I need?
The instructions say, “Mix corn syrup, hot water, glitter…” When you say “glitter” do you mean both glitter glue AND Make It Glitter? Or is it just one or the other? There is no “dry’ glitter added to this jar, if I understand correctly?
These jars are all beautiful- I’d make them all if I could! Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Sue,
You can make the corn syrup bottle with just regular loose glitter. No glitter glue or Make it Glitter necessary.
And a small bottle of glitter is more like 1 to 2 oz of glitter. That one is medium sized that you linked to.
Good luck!!
Hi! Thank you for sharing! I want to make the corn syrup recipe. Does it call or boiling water or simply hot sink water? I am a therapist and am unsure whether or not I can get away with making this at work instead of at home. Thanks!
Hi Theresa! Yes, you should be able to use hot sink water just fine! I made one recently with just that, and it worked great. Enjoy!
It looks like the Make It Glitter has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Have you found any alternatives? Should I just use a fine, loose glitter instead? I’m hoping to make the corn syrup bottle because I have a bottle of corn syrup leftover in my pantry and this would be the perfect way to use it up!
Oh bummer! I am so discouraged to hear this. And yes, glitter itself will work. The fine glitter is pretty, and I also love the chunkier glitter too! Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for posting this! I’m a school psychologist and very excited to try making these for some of my students. Thank you for including the amount of time it takes for the glitter to settle back down. It really helps me with planning 🙂
Is there a way to get the printing off of the Voss bottles so it is simply clear on all sides?
Hi Liz, oh man, I have not figured it out. But I tried several things in the process. I just get the plastic ones now so I can peel it off. But honestly, if you’re making this for kids, they likely won’t notice.
Have you ever made a jar that was glitter jar AND color mixing? I was thinking of doing one for a friend of mine, and wanted some thoughts.
Just as a note, I’m making it a “potion bottle” and it’s in a Star Rice Vinegar glass bottle. It’s like a round bulb flask thing. I think it’d be super neat.
I haven’t but that sounds cool! Let us know if you try it!
Baby oil works great too Using the directions for the glycerin ( that’s what baby oil is) and it works great
I’m looking to make calming bottles for my kids with slow moving/falling water beads. Do you know which of your above mixtures would be best….or a different combination? Thanks!
Hi Liza,
We love waterbead sensory bottles! Since water beads are big and heavy, I haven’t figured out a way to slow them down much. We typically love looking at how pretty they are. If you figure out a way, we’d love to hear about it!
Ah, good to know! This will be my second sensory bottle, first being oil and colored water. Do you have a favorite way to do water beads? Have you found any mixture to slow them at all?
Going to try you corn syrup and glitter bottle this weekend too!
Thank you!
I am trying to do a craft for about 25 kids at our Annual Easter Hunt. Which would be the best method to use, if i would like lots of glitter and Medium glitter movement. Have you used water beads in jars before? If so, how did they work.
Hi Tiffany,
To be honest, calm down bottles are hard and stressful to do in large groups of children if they are making their own individual bottle. There’s just a lot that can go wrong. Even water beads are tricky because they are incredibly bouncy and go everywhere really quickly. If I were in your position, I might consider something like rice with cute mini erasers or other fun small objects as an I Spy sensory bottle. It won’t be mess-free, but it will be much easier to manage than the calm down bottle or water beads. I hope this helps!
Could you use edible glitter like this https://a.co/d/ffl12wC ? Would it break down over time? I really like the shimmery vs glittery effect.
That’s so pretty! I’ve never tried it, but if you do, let us know!