I remember playing with sparklers every 4th of July when we were little. You know what I'm talking about, the sharp metal sticks with some type of gun powder adhered to the end. We would hold on to them while running and jumping, making shapes in the air all while fire and sparks are flying off the other end. (Harmless, right?!?)
Sparklers are still legal in the state of Colorado, but if you want to try a safer version, try these fun Independence Day~Spark-Free Sparklers!
What you need:
Foil Fringe Garland or Door Garland (Links for examples, try the dollar store or a party supply store)
Bendable straws
Chenille stems (Pipe cleaners)
Steps to make:
1. Cut the top off the garland. If using the door garland, cut into strips approximately 6-8 inches long.
2. Take a stack of strips, about 30 will do and twist a few times in the middle to hold them in place.
3. Using a pipe cleaner. Start about an inch from the top of, wrap around your twist leaving a small tail.
4. Put the straw with the bend side down, over the pipe cleaner. Tug lightly to secure the strips. You should have an inch or so of the pipe cleaner sticking out of the bottom of the straw.
5. Bend the straw at the flexible joint, then wrap the remaining pipe cleaner around the straw.
6. Rub your sparkler between your hands to crinkle it a bit to make it look more like a sparkler.
All finished!
You can run and jump with these with little chance of injury. Have fun!
if you're feeling a bit nostalgic and want to enjoy the real version, we found this safety tip on Pinterest. Poke a hole in the bottom of a red plastic drinking cup. Put the stem of the sparkler through the hole, hold the sparkler stem from inside the cup. Genius! More safety tips can be found on our Pinterest page at 4th of July Fun!
