How to Make: Star Rain in a Bottle!

In the novel Hidden Current, star rain is a beautiful phenomenon in which multi-colored starlight transforms, then bursts to release a shower of golden dust. The light show is fleeting and the dust turns to sand once it reaches the ground…but what if you could bottle some star rain to keep for your own?

My friend Caitlin Eha created these instructions for you! You can visit her author website HERE.

Materials you’ll need:

• A bottle with a lid (This can be any bottle you like, as long as the lid can be glued on without possibility of leaks. Your local craft store probably has an abundance of uniquely-shaped bottles!)
• A funnel (the stem needs to fit in the bottle’s opening)
• Corn syrup (the amount will depend on the bottle’s size)
• Blue food coloring
• Gold/yellow food coloring
• Gold fine glitter
• Hot glue gun
• Water (a little bit from the sink is fine!)
• A mixing bowl
• A small mixing spoon (tongue depressors or popsicle sticks also work)

Instructions:

1. Pour some corn syrup into your mixing bowl. (You can measure this based on the volume of your bottle, or you can just estimate.)
2. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring and stir with the corn syrup. If you want the shade to be darker, add more drops of food coloring and stir until you like the hue.
3. Optional: Add a drop of gold or yellow food coloring. Star rain is described as having green and blue lights, so I made the corn syrup a combination of those colors. However, you’ll want to use less gold coloring than blue.
4. Once you’re happy with the color, add the gold fine glitter to the corn syrup. Be generous with the glitter, and stir it into the corn syrup as you go. The more glitter you use, the more your finished bottle will sparkle.
5. Add a little bit of water to your corn syrup and glitter mixture. The water won’t mix well with the corn syrup, but stir it together anyway. Because of its thickness, the corn syrup keeps the glitter suspended in the bottle, but it will still separate to the top and bottom eventually. The water adds some fluidity to the mixture so, even if the glitter separates, you can shake and spin the bottle until the glitter spreads out again.
6. Put the funnel in your bottle and carefully pour in the corn syrup mixture. Leave a little bit of space at the top of the bottle—this empty space will make it easier to shake the bottle and spread out the glitter as needed.
7. Once your bottle is filled with “star rain,” use the hot glue gun to seal the lid in place. (For instance, if the bottle closes with a cork, just put some hot glue around the cork and then insert it into the bottle.) Once the hot glue dries, it should prevent any leaks.
8. You now have a bottle of star rain! If the glitter starts to separate, just shake, twirl, and turn the bottle upside down until it spreads out again.

Optional: I finished off my star rain bottle with a wax seal on the top, just to make it look extra artsy! If you want to do this, too, pour your melted sealing wax right on top of the lid, then press in the seal. The extra wax will spill down the sides as it dries and create a nice effect!

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