How to Make a Glowing Jar of Eyeballs

Glowing jars of eyeballs are perfect Halloween party additions.

A jar filled with glowing eyeballs is the perfect complement to your Halloween party, and is sure to draw more than a few stares. Fortunately, making a jar of "pickled" glowing eyeballs can be accomplished using a simple child's toy, some acrylic craft paint, and a brush. For an extra touch of creepiness, use an institutional-sized jar and print a label off your computer to make the jar look like you picked it up at your local witches' apothecary.

Things You'll Need

• Glass jar with a lid
• 1-inch diameter glow in the dark white rubber balls
• Water
• Glow in the dark acrylic craft paint
• Paint brush
• White school glue
• Computer

Instructions

1. Paint an iris and a pupil onto the glow in the dark white rubber balls with the glow in the dark acrylic craft paint and paint brush. Use a variety of greens, blues and browns for the iris, black for the pupil, and red for the blood vessels and veins surrounding the eye. Allow the paint to dry completely before continuing.

2. Fill the jar approximately half full with water, and then begin placing the glowing eyeballs into the jar. They will float, so you will have to press down on them as the jar fills to the top. Once the jar has been filled, add additional water or remove water from the jar so it appears filled to the brim.

3. Screw the lid onto the jar tightly to prevent children from opening the jar while it is displayed. If you have chosen to add a label, print one out from your computer and paste it to the side of the jar with school glue.

Tips & Warnings

• The jar will only glow if the balls have been exposed to light before they are placed somewhere dark. Under the right conditions, though, and with enough light to charge the eyeballs up, they'll glow a faint green from early dusk till well past midnight.

• When purchasing the craft paint, check the label to make certain that it will adhere to rubber and plastic, and is water fast.

References

• "Halloween How-To, A: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations"; Leslie Bannatyne; 2001