Ho, ho, ho! Christmas is almost here! I just couldn’t resist it and had to turn one of my favorite calming jars (glitter glue sensory jar) into a Santa Claus Sensory Bottle.
Why do Kids Love Glitter Glue Calming Jars?
Glitter glue calming jars are absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing!
Kids can spend so much time looking at its swirling effect, the glittery particles slowly flowing down in the jar.
And a great added value is that, for some kids (and adults!), they may also work as an effective calming tool.
Not too many Christmas activities for kids can provide these many benefits:
- a fun Christmas craft to prepare with the family
- cute Christmas decoration
- an effective calming tool
So, let’s learn how to make this SUPER EASY Santa Claus Glitter Glue Sensory Bottle.
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How to Make a Santa Claus Sensory Bottle with Glitter Glue
Materials:
- Plastic container from the recycling bin.
- Warm tap water
- Glitter glue – color of your choice
- Coarse glitter – pink and white
- Fine glitter – we used pink, yellow, silver and gold (several types of gold)
- Red food coloring
- Washi tape (black and gold colors)
- Santa Claus felt faces (other options in the instructions)
- Glue
- Spoon (to mix the ingredients)
Instructions:
-Fill two-thirds of your plastic bottle with warm tap water.
-Add glitter glue (color of your choice)
I used glow in the dark glitter glue for this project, just because I was hoping it would glow in the dark. It didn’t. I’m not sure why it didn’t work, it might be because I added food color too, or because I did not put enough glitter glue to make it glow. (This other glow in the dark sensory jar did work well, though)
There is a reason not to add too much glitter glue. If you wish to get a nice swirling effect, the less glitter glue the better. If you add too much the liquid flows too slowly, it gets too heavy.
You may wish to watch a tutorial on how to make a glitter glue sensory bottle (the basic mechanics are the same, we have just added a few steps for this project)
-Give it a good stir till it blends as much as you can.
There may still be a few lumps after a good stir, but that’s ok too.
-Add red food coloring and mix it
This is Santa Claus! So we want a nice bright red color that will make the bottle look like Santa’s clothes
-Add coarse glitter
I added pink. I wanted to add white but I ran out of it.
-Add fine glitter
I went heavily on the gold glitter (several shades), as I thought it would make it quite “Christmas-y”. I also added pink, yellow and silver.
-Mix the contents with a spoon.
It will help you assess if you like the colors you see in your swirl. Add more glitter if you are still not satisfied.
-Refill the rest of the container with water and mix.
-Glue the lid so that water doesn’t spill when you swirl your sensory bottle
-Glue Santa’s face to the top of the bottle (on one of the sides)
These felt stickers are similar to the ones I bought ? Santa felt stickerAlternatively, you could draw Santa’s face (not for me though, I can’t draw -> and that’s an understatement! Just imagine how bad it can be)
Use the black washi tape to create a belt in the middle of the bottle.
Wrap it around the center of the bottle, where you think the belt will look better.Use the golden washi tape to create a buckle for the belt. Cut 4 small pieces and stuck them in the middle as shown in the picture below.
-Shake it!
Now your Santa Claus Sensory Bottle with Glitter Glue is ready!
Tip: When you move it in circles it produces this really amazing silver swirl.
⇒ Check Out these other DIY Sensory Bottles. Fun Family Crafts!
Looking for More Christmas Fun?
If you’d like even more easy, print-and-go Christmas activities, check out our full Christmas Coloring & Crafts Bundle. It’s packed with festive coloring pages, simple crafts, and fun projects that keep kids happily entertained at home or at school. A great way to add extra creativity to your holiday season!
Other Interesting Christmas Articles
- Fun Christmas Traditions from Around the World
- Santa Claus Names Around the World
- Stress-Free Christmas for Autism Families
- Sensory Gifts for Kids with Autism
Santa Claus Sensory Bottle: Christmas Crafts + Effective Calming Tool
