May 29, 2012

Therapeutic Crafts: How to Make a Calm Jar!


WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Glitter!!! You can use any shape, color and amount you want! This project is all about personalization and what makes YOU happy so feel free to add beads, gems, bells, anything you want! I personally like the sound my jar makes when it only has glitter in it so that's all I decided to add but feel free to add more! 
I don't know where this glitter is from, I found it in my room but you can find all kinds of glitter at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and even Wal Mart! 

And of course you need a jar, I got this one at Michaels for $1.99. It's a self sealing Mason jar so it has the two part lid with a ring of rubber around it so I don't have to super glue it shut or anything. But, you definitely don't need a particular kind of jar, it can be as big or small as you want! 

Step One: 

 Fill the jar with water! 
You want to fill it almost to the top, the kind of water doesn't matter! 

 Step Two:

Pour your glitter into the jar!

You can use as much or as little glitter as you want, I used all the glitter shown in the first photo. 

Step Three:

SHAKE!
Shake your jar well and if you want to add more glitter, go for it!
Next you can add more water if you want. 

My glitter is pretty big, so it tends to clump together pretty quick, but I don't mind! I  think it would be pretty neat to make a jar with several different sizes of glitter! 

A friend suggested this project to me when I was talking to her about a class I was in where we got to mentor children at a local elementary school and I thought it would be a really great activity to do with the kids!
Sadly, I never got a chance to share this with them :( but, I always wanted to make one for myself. 
Calm jars are used differently by everyone who makes them, most use them as a way to calm down, hence the name! Anytime you feel anxious or stressed, give the jar a shake and just watch as the glitter floats down and try to focus on being calm.  For others, it can be a way to shake out frustration. Anytime you feel mad instead of doing something destructive, just shake the jar! 

Thanks for reading and I promise I will have many more posts very soon! 
I know its been a really long time since I last posted, I've just wrapped up my senior year of high school so I've been very busy! Please don't forget about me!
:)