Relaxation Bottles

I've had requests for more information on the relaxation bottles the preschoolers made earlier this year, so I will do my best to explain how they were made.

Here is where I got most of my information.  There was some trial and error involved to find the best combination and ratio, but this site helped a lot.

First, I took some glitter glue that I bought in the scrapbooking section at Wal-Mart.  I squeezed about half of the bottle of glue into a bowl with hot water.  I used a whisk to break down the glue until it looked like sparkly water.  I did get some foam, but just used a spoon to get rid of it.  I didn't put a lot of hot water in, since I only used a 10 oz. bottle for the preschoolers.  At this point, I also found it easiest to add in some clear gel glue (either tacky glue or Elmer's clear glue works).  Since the water was still hot, I whisked the water to melt the glue. 

After it cooled slightly, I poured this combination into the water bottle.  Make sure the water isn't too hot or it will warp the bottle!  I poured some ultrafine glitter (also found in the scrapbooking section at Wal-Mart - make sure it's ultrafine or the glitter will just sink) into the bottle and shook.  Again, you will get foam!  Just pour it off the top and add more water if needed.

After you have the color combination you want, you need to make a decision.  Do you want this bottle to be a "timer" with a specific set time or are you happy with the way it looks and falls?  ***As the water cools, it will fall more slowly***

If you are satisfied with the way it looks, add enough water to fill the bottle and allow it to cool. When cool, give it a test shake.  If it still passes the test, then super glue the lid closed and you're finished!

If you want this to be a timer:  adding more clear glue will increase the time it takes to settle.  You can melt additional clear glue in hot water and add slowly to the bottle to make a timer.  Wait until the bottle is cool to check the time.  When satisfied and the water is cool, make sure the bottle is full, super glue the lid closed ,and you're finished!

If you're having any trouble, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to help you figure it out or add some pictures to the mini-tutorial :)  The kids love them and I'm so happy that people are using them!