Halloween is just around the corner and nothing completes Halloween without carved pumpkins plying the streets. But have you ever wondered why pumpkins are used as a popular decoration for Halloween?
Well, as a part of honoring the souls of the dead and to prevent bad luck, the Celts carved faces into pumpkins and other vegetables to guide good spirits on their way to their home.
And if the purpose of carved pumpkins is to use them to light up the path the good spirits tread, then why don’t we level it up into a glow-in-the-dark Jack-o lantern?! Don’t worry, they are simple and easy to make and is an activity you and your kids will enjoy doing!
According to the I Love To Create blog here are the materials that you and your kid will need:
[1] PUMPKINS
Obviously, what is jack-o-lantern without any pumpkins? For this fun and simple project, you can use any pumpkins of your choice. You can use a real pumpkin or a plastic one, it really depends on your choice and your budget.
If you will use a real pumpkin, coat it white for your base. And if you opt for plastic, simply buy one which is already white in color so you don’t have to paint them anymore.
In addition to pumpkins and basic white acrylic paint as a primer for any non-white pumpkins you are painting, you’ll need glow-in-the-dark craft paint, which you can buy on Amazon (if you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get it for free in two days).
[2] GLOW IN THE DARK PAINTS
Grab a glow-in-the-dark paint of your choice. You can use any brand that you prefer as well. But for this project, I Love To Create blog used Tulips Glow-in-the-dark paints.
To make your pumpkin lanterns even more vibrant or spooky, use as many colors as you can!
Now that you have an idea about the materials that you need to prepare, you are now ready to create your own glow-in-the-dark Jack-O lanterns! Simply take note of the instructions below:
[STEP 1: PICK YOUR FIRST NEON PAINT]
The steps are actually pretty simple. For starters, all you need is to pick the first color you will use. Once you’ve made up your mind, start at the top of the pumpkin and draw thin, squiggly lines up and down.
You may also go towards the middle of the pumpkin or draw lines at the bottom as well. You may also design the pumpkins in a way that it looks as if colors were dripping like blood, just like what the blogger did in this featured article!
[STEP 2: EXPERIMENT WITH COLORS]
Grab the next color that will give life to your Jack-O lantern! Let your imagination run wild and do not be afraid to play with colors. Start adding new colors to your pumpkin, you may also add new patterns.
Simply repeat the process until you are already satisfied with what you have designed. Create as many colorful Jack-O lanterns as you want and flaunt them in your yard, windowsill, and doorsteps!
You may also draw abstract squares on top of each other to achieve a unique geometric designed pumpkin.
Or fill your lanterns with colorful dots using the bottle of the paint you bought as well. After all polka dots never go out of style!
Creating your own DIY glow-in-the-dark pumpkins will surely be a fun-filled activity that even an adult, like yourself, can enjoy! Try this out and flaunt your masterpiece! Just don’t be surprised when kids flock around your home, not only for the sake of trick or treat, but also to ogle at the lovely and ‘spooky’ designs you have made!
Photos | I Love to Create blog