Are you a creative adult with a passion for inspiring kids? Become an Activity Author and reach a wider audience with GlueStick. Learn more.

Halloween Glass Jar Luminaries

Light up your Halloween night with some spooky glass jar luminaries. Copy one of our fun characters, or create some of your own. These make a great Halloween-themed decor or gift that kids can create all on their own using recycled jars and inexpensive supplies. We used watered-down glue to make our luminaries, but Mod Podge would also be a great choice for attaching the tissue paper to the jars.

20-40 minutes Ages 3-10 5 steps may need help

About This Project

A 20–40 minutes craft for ages 3–10, using supplies you likely already have — LED Tea Lights, Googly Eyes, and White Glue.

GlueStick supports kids from setup to cleanup. After they choose a project, we guide them through gathering the supplies, making it, and cleaning up when they're done. We'll even help them share it safely with trusted family and friends.

Ad-free and kid-safe library — designed by a mom who wants kids to explore and create independently.

Project Tags

haunted house witch monster ghost halloween luminary recycled materials recycling center

1
Find Supplies

Do you have everything you need?

Create a free GlueStick account to track supplies and see if you have what you need at a glance. Leave your kids tips about where supplies are stored in your household so they can set up and clean up their creative spaces independently.

00:00

LED Tea Lights
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

(Optional) Googly Eyes
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

White Glue
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Foam Brushes
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Tissue Paper
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Construction Paper
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

(Optional) Decoupage Medium
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Glass Jars
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Water
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

(Optional) String
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown
2
Make Halloween Glass Jar Luminaries

Messy Mode

Cut your tissue paper

Gather the tissue paper you want to use. We used white for ghosts, and green and purple for our monster and witch. Green would also make a great Frankenstein, or orange would be fun for a jack-o-lantern themed project. Tear or cut the tissue paper into small squares, no more than one-inch across.

Paint on your adhesive

First, decide if you'll use watered down glue or Mod Podge. Mod Podge is easier, and gives a glossier finish to your jar. If you use watered down glue, add a few drops of water per tablespoon of glue and mix in a small bowl. Work in small sections to avoid getting too sticky. Use a small foam brush to paint your glue or Mod Podge directly onto the jar.

Add Tissue Paper

Add your pieces of tissue paper wherever you've painted on the glue. Use your foam brush to paint more adhesive over the top of every piece to make sure it's on tight. Overlap your pieces of tissue paper so there are no clear spots remaining.

Don't forget the rim

When doing the rim of your jar, make sure you have lots of adhesive on the edge and just along the inside of your jar. Fold pieces of tissue paper over the edge, then add more adhesive on top to tack it down, just like on the rest of the jar. We find that folding the tissue paper over the edge gives the nicest, most finished look to the project.

Add your face

Add a face to your project! Cut out a mouth, nose, and eyes from construction paper. You can also use googly eyes or stickers if you have them. We added ours when the adhesive was still wet. If your face pieces are large and heavy, you may need to wait til the tissue paper glue dries and add them afterwards with a stronger glue, like hot glue.

(Optional) Hair

To add hair to your jar, cut pieces of string or yarn to the length you want. Add a thin line of glue all around the edge of your jar. Lay the string or yarn on top.

(Optional) Witch's Hat

We wanted to give our witch character a hat. We used a much smaller jelly jar and covered it in tissue paper just like we did for the witch's face. Then, we turned it upside down and glued it to a piece of construction paper that we cut into a circle for the brim.

Light them up!

Add a LED candle inside to make your jars glow! They look great in a windowsill on a spooky night.

Your creative buddy says:

"Are you as excited to make this as I am?"

Step 1: Cut your tissue paper

Gather the tissue paper you want to use. We used white for ghosts, and green and purple for our monster and witch. Green would also make a great Frankenstein, or orange would be fun for a jack-o-lantern themed project. Tear or cut the tissue paper into small squares, no more than one-inch across.

Step 2: Paint on your adhesive

May need grown-up help

First, decide if you'll use watered down glue or Mod Podge. Mod Podge is easier, and gives a glossier finish to your jar. If you use watered down glue, add a few drops of water per tablespoon of glue and mix in a small bowl. Work in small sections to avoid getting too sticky. Use a small foam brush to paint your glue or Mod Podge directly onto the jar.

Step 3: Add Tissue Paper

May need grown-up help

Add your pieces of tissue paper wherever you've painted on the glue. Use your foam brush to paint more adhesive over the top of every piece to make sure it's on tight. Overlap your pieces of tissue paper so there are no clear spots remaining.

Step 4: Don't forget the rim

May need grown-up help

When doing the rim of your jar, make sure you have lots of adhesive on the edge and just along the inside of your jar. Fold pieces of tissue paper over the edge, then add more adhesive on top to tack it down, just like on the rest of the jar. We find that folding the tissue paper over the edge gives the nicest, most finished look to the project.

Step 5: Add your face

May need grown-up help

Add a face to your project! Cut out a mouth, nose, and eyes from construction paper. You can also use googly eyes or stickers if you have them. We added ours when the adhesive was still wet. If your face pieces are large and heavy, you may need to wait til the tissue paper glue dries and add them afterwards with a stronger glue, like hot glue.

Step 6: (Optional) Hair

To add hair to your jar, cut pieces of string or yarn to the length you want. Add a thin line of glue all around the edge of your jar. Lay the string or yarn on top.

Step 7: (Optional) Witch's Hat

May need grown-up help

We wanted to give our witch character a hat. We used a much smaller jelly jar and covered it in tissue paper just like we did for the witch's face. Then, we turned it upside down and glued it to a piece of construction paper that we cut into a circle for the brim.

Step 8: Light them up!

Add a LED candle inside to make your jars glow! They look great in a windowsill on a spooky night.
3
Clean up
Put things away so your space is tidy for next time.
Tidy up our space

Pick up anything that fell on the floor.

Wipe up any spills on the table.

Put your completed project somewhere safe!

Throw away all your trash and recycling.
Put away our supplies

Check off each supply when it is put away — and any clean-up tips underneath are done too. You might find a fun surprise!

Put away googly eyes. Where they belong:

Put away white glue. Where they belong:

— Don't forget! Close glue lids.

Put away foam brushes. Where they belong:

— Don't forget! Rinse your foam brushes well and let them dry before storing them.

Put away tissue paper. Where they belong:

Put away construction paper. Where they belong:

Put away decoupage medium. Where they belong:

— Don't forget! Close the Mod Podge (or similar medium) lid tightly.

Put away glass jars. Where they belong:

Put away water. Where they belong:

Put away string. Where they belong:

Put away led tea light. Where they belong:
Update what we have left

Did we run out of anything while making this project? Update our supply cupboard so that we know exactly what we have for next time.

Create a free account to manage your cupboard
Hooray! You've unlocked a new creative buddy

You

Buddy

Nice work putting supplies away!
This project could unlock 4 creative buddies. Sign in to unlock them.
4
Save

Your creative buddy says:

"Way to stick with it!"

Create a free account to save your digital masterpiece to the Art Gallery.

Sign in Create account

Use what’s already at home

Snap a junk-drawer photo and GlueStick finds projects you can start in minutes — no store trip, less expense, more creative afternoons.

+ 350 more

Supply Snap

About the Author

Abby Allen

Abby Allen

Abby Allen is a mom, software engineer, and founder who loves to inspire kids to do more arts, crafts, and science experiments at home. When she's not busy building GlueStick, you can find her leading her Girl Scout troop or somewhere exploring with the family on their latest RV adventure.

More projects by this author

Halloween Glass Jar Luminaries

About This Project

Project Tags

Find Supplies

Make Halloween Glass Jar Luminaries

Step 1: Cut your tissue paper

Step 2: Paint on your adhesive

Step 3: Add Tissue Paper

Step 4: Don't forget the rim

Step 5: Add your face

Step 6: (Optional) Hair

Step 7: (Optional) Witch's Hat

Step 8: Light them up!

Clean up

Tidy up our space

Put away our supplies

Update what we have left

Save

More projects you might like

Use what’s already at home

About the Author

Abby Allen