How to Decorate Your White Christmas Tree for a Groovy Black Light Party

Make a Christmas party even groovier with black lights.

Black lights emit invisible ultraviolet light, referred to as "black" light. At a black light party in a medium-sized room, between four and six 6-foot long black lights will make the entire room glow. When white or neon objects are exposed to black lights, they appear to glow. This makes the inexpensive black light a popular decoration at college parties, Christmas dances and New Year's celebrations. At a Christmas party, light up the room with a white faux Christmas tree. Under the black light, it will be the "highlight" of the room. Add other decorations to the tree to make it even brighter.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry detergent
• Black light Christmas lights
• Neon ribbons
• Small, clear plastic bottles with lids
• Highlighters
• Scissors
• String
• Plain glass ornaments
• Masking tape
• Neon spray paint
• Candy canes
• Glow necklaces
• Fiber-optic lamp
• Neon fabric

Instructions

1. Smudge some laundry detergent on the tips of the Christmas tree branches. Laundry detergent glows under black light.

2. String the Christmas tree with black-light Christmas lights.

3. Tie 12-inch lengths of neon ribbon into bows around the branches of the tree. Neon glows under black light.

4. Fill small, clear plastic bottles (such as travel-size bottles) with lids 3/4 full with water. Unscrew the bottom of the highlighters and remove the soft highlighter stick from the center. Cut the highlighter sticks to size and stick them in the bottles. Let the sticks sit for a day, then shake vigorously to release the glowing dye, which glows under black light. Remove the sticks and screw the caps on tightly. Loop string around the tops of the bottles and hang them from the tree.

5. Wrap masking tape around the hook and topper of plain glass ornaments. Spray-paint the ornaments with neon spray paint and let dry. Peel off the masking tape and hang the ornaments from the branches.

6. Spray-paint candy canes with neon and white spray-paint and hang them from the tree by the hooked ends.

7. Hang glow necklaces all over the tree. Set a fiber-optic lamp at the top of the tree as the "star." Wind masking tape around the base of the lamp and the top of the tree pole to secure it if necessary.

8. Wrap neon fabric around the bottom of the tree on the floor to act as a glowing tree skirt.

References

• Merriam-Webster: Blacklight
• BK the DJ: Highlighter and Blacklight Party Ideas