Glowing floating ghosts
Gauze soaked in glue, draped over a bottle, and the next day a ghost stands up all by itself: slip an LED candle underneath and it glows in the dark.
Age : age 5+, with a grown-up
Materials
- Gauze, cheesecloth or an old piece of thin fabric : A square about 40 cm across per ghost.
- White PVA glue and a little water : Half glue, half water.
- An empty plastic bottle : That's the ghost's body.
- A ball or a small balloon : Placed on the bottle neck: that's the head.
- Cling film : So the gauze doesn't stick to the bottle.
- Black marker or black felt : For the eyes and mouth.
- An LED candle : Never a real candle.
Steps
Drape
- Put the ball on the neck of the bottle and wrap the whole thing in cling film.
- In a mixing bowl, mix equal amounts of glue and water.
- Dip the gauze and squeeze it so it's well soaked but not dripping.
- Drape it over the ball and bottle, and let the bottom ripple and spread out on the table.
- Pull the corners out a little so it looks like it's floating.
- Leave to dry for 24 to 48 hours.
Bring it to life
- When the fabric is hard, gently lift the ghost off the bottle.
- Draw or glue on two eyes and an O-shaped mouth.
- Put a lit LED candle under the ghost, turn off the lights… it glows!
Gauze is a very open fabric: the LED's light passes through its tiny holes and the dried glue spreads it out, like a lampshade.
Bottles of different sizes make a whole ghost family. You can also hang them on a thread for real flying ghosts.
If it goes wrong
- The ghost slumps : Soak it again and leave it longer.
- It won't come off : Gently ease it off by sliding a ruler between the fabric and the bottle.
- Glue drips : Squeeze it more before draping.
Safety
- LED candles only: a real flame would set the fabric alight.
- Glue is messy: apron on and table covered.