I’ve been looking for a way to help calm my 2-year-old son when his temper gets the best of him. About 7 years ago a family member made this DIY Calming Glitter Jar for her daughter to serve the same purpose. I made a mental note to give it a try when my own child came along, you know if I needed it.
Fast forward 7 years, the terrible twos in full swing, and I’ve quickly learned that toddler tantrums are tough to deal with. When your crazed child is in full monster mode, face down on the floor, you’ll do anything to bring him back to reality. Especially when you’re in a public place.
I decided it was time to give this DIY Calming Glitter Jar a shot. What do I have to lose, I asked myself. Well, he could throw it on the ground, break it, open and empty it, hate it… okay I was more than a little skeptical. I honestly didn’t anticipate strong results but I gave it a try anyway.
The recipe below is very easy to make. There’s no exact science so feel free to play around with it and don’t worry too much if you mess up. The key is to use hot water to make the glue easier to work with.
The first step to making the perfect DIY Calming Glitter Jar is to pick the right kind of jar. Make sure it’s not too big or heavy for little hands. I’ve seen a lot of Pinterest posts that use Vase Water jars which are very heavy and probably not the best choice for a 2-3-year-old.
For my DIY Calming Glitter Jar I decided to use an old Peanut Butter Jar I found in the recycle bin. Its plastic and small enough for little hands.
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DIY Calming Glitter Jar Materials:
Plastic or glass jar with lid (I used an old plastic peanut butter, Chi Chi’s Salsa, and small glass jar)
DIY Calming Glitter Jar Assembly Steps:
- Add 1 cup of hot water to your jar. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute to ensure it’s hot enough.
- Add ¾” -1” of extra fine glitter to your jar.
- Add about ¼ of the bottle of glue to your jar and mix with a fork.
- Fill your jar with more hot water, leaving about ¾’ at the top for room to shake.
- Add a few drops of dish soap if your glitter is clumping at the top. This will help disperse the glitter more.
- Add some chunky glitter of a different color, if possible.
- Shake, shake, shake. The more you shake, the better your glitter and glue will mix.
- Add 3 drops of your favorite food coloring. Shake.
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I also made a smaller version for the car and diaper bag (pictured). Sometimes this comes in handy when J is having one of his fits in public and I desperately want him to chill out. It’s not a cure all for temper tantrums so don’t get your hopes up. For small fits, it does help him forget why he was crying in the first place and sometimes he just likes to shake and play when he’s a good mood.I added a little toy figurine to add to the allure and my son really seems to enjoy it. Hope it works you!
I even made a third Calming Glitter Jar for myself to keep on my desk. I find that watching the glitter fall to the bottom helps calm my nerves when I’m feeling anxious.
Do you use Glitter Jars? Does it work? Share in the comments below.
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Hi! I’m Meagan and I’m a 41 year old mom of a high energy almost 9 year old, happily navigating my way through the little boy years. I’ve been married for 14 years. I met my husband over 20 years ago in high school; we got married 10 years later after graduating from the University of South Florida. I currently help run a family business with my parents while blogging about my life and love of DIY projects!
When I’m not at a kids sports game, I enjoy spending time with my family on a beach anywhere. I also love decorating and organizing, fun DIY projects, bargain shopping, and eating out or in! I also love Barbecue anything and a good show or movie on Netflix.
Love this idea! I’m definitely going to try this out for my son! I know he’ll love it too!
http://www.officiallychic.com
My nephew used to go crazy when he was about 2-3 years old any time my sister left him for more than 10 seconds. I wish I would have had one of these to distract him until he grew out of that phase.
I love how simple these are to make. My mom made them for me when I was little and it was so relaxing to watch the glitter float around. I can’t wait to make these for my kids one day.
My 11 year old daughter made something similar. Super cute!
I love calming jars! I want to make one of these for my office desk!
Those look like tons of fun!
We could use all the calming action we can get around here – definitely need to give this one a try!
It’s great for kids and parents! You know for those times when you really need a good “zone out” moment!
These are so fun, I used them when I was a teacher. I think my son could use them too!
I agree, they’re not just for kids! I made one for myself to keep on my desk at work. I love it…maybe more than my son likes his.
What a coincidence! We just made these the other day at a fair and I had never heard of them before. My 1.5 year old loves his – I just had to secure the lid a bit more after an initial ‘glitter leak’ but all good. They are very calming too.
It’s funny you say that because I didn’t initially secure the lid…but then we had an accident and I must say that it is an important step you can’t forget!!