Glow in the Dark Crayon Project

GLOW PROJECT #1

My daughter Sierra had a sleepover this weekend, perfect opportunity to try out this neato arts and crafts project, made with Crayons and Glow Powder. We had a great time making these, and the girls loved their finished masterpieces.

The supplies are minimal, you should be able to find everything you need in your home already.

• Canvas, we used 2 sizes, 5x7 / 7x11)
• Crayons
• Hot Glue Gun
• Blow Dryer
• Glow Glass Powder (we used Aqua).

 

First, I had the girls line up their crayons. They each picked through their own box of crayons, and could fit 25 on their large canvases. Mine is the smaller canvas, I picked 15 colors.

This part took awhile as the girls are a bit nutty :) Always time to strike a pose! lol.

Because my canvas was on the small side I decided to cut my crayons in half. The girls left theirs as is.

I read in other tutorials that Hot Glue is the way to go with this project. Elmer's does not hold the weight of the crayons well and they could pop off.

At this point in the project we decided to go outside. I am so glad we did...

once the crayons start to melt it can get a bit messy! We used some milk crates to prop up our art.

Now the fun really starts! We tried all the settings on my blow dryer, high seemed to be the only setting that got hot enough to melt the wax. It melts fast! At first the wax sprays all over the place, going with the direction of the hot air. I suggest putting down a drop cloth or some newspaper.

Once you have a good amount of wax melted, point the blow dryer straight down from the middle of the crayons. This will help keep the wax melting down and not off to the sides. This will also melt the wax inside the crayon, which will flow out the bottom nicely.

Now to make it GLOW! We used Aqua Glow Glass Powder. While the wax is still hot sprinkle some Powder on. We sprinkled it everywhere, right on the crayon tips, and on the already melted wax. Try to sprinkle evenly.

Some of the powder will blow away with the blow dryer, but most will stick right to the hot wax. The powder will "melt" into the wax seconds after reapplying the heat from the blow dryer. Add more glow if you like... depending on how much you want your project to Glow.  A little goes a long way. We added glow two times.

And...the finished Masterpiece. What a fun project. Thanks to Sierra Dunn and Ember Dean for all your help. 

This is my project at night, the smaller canvas. I love how it glows in different colors, even though we only used the Aqua Glow Powder.

The Man Behind Glow Glass

As you know, I started this blog to let the world know about Glow Glass LLC. Glow Glass Powders and Glass can be used in a plethora of applications for many different types of projects. In the next few weeks I will be adding directions and tutorials on various Glow-in-the -dark projects including making glow in the dark paint, how to correctly use the powders and Frits in glass applications, candles, screen printing, wax, ink, plastic, concrete...you name it, we can make it glow!  Please visit our website Glow Glass LLC and also, Joe's Etsy Store
So, who is the man behind the Glow? Joe!  Here is a small bio written by Plum Loco:
Joe has taken his passion of any/all glass and all things glowing since 1997 and made it a reality. He has been sharing the results of his infatuation with the lamp-working world through his company, Glow Glass LLC since then.
Joe enjoys the artistic expression of sculpting glass with fire. Regular walks on the beaches near his home in Florida cultivate his imagination and influence his art.
Inspired by his life’s journey, each piece of his wearable art is created with the knowledge that it will perpetually delight all, from the sophisticated to those whose inner child is allowed to roam in adulthood.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I thought for my very first blog I would write about where it all started for Joe, the creator of Glow Glass LLC. What is the history of photo luminescence?
Around 1602, Vincenzo Casciorola of Bologna, discovered a translucent mineral in fields near Monte Paterna, some 4 miles from Bologna, which when calcined acquired the property of glowing in the dark after exposure to sunlight. Casciorola originally called it the 'lapis solaris' as it appeared to store the light of the Sun. An account was later published by Fortunio Liceti Litheosphorus, sive de lapide Bononiensi lucem, Utino,1640.
This substance appears to be barium sulphide. It was made phosphorescent by being powdered very finely, calcined, then mixed with water or white of egg and fashioned into small tablets, which were again calcined at a high temperature in a furnace using bellows. It then was capable of phosphorescing after being exposed to sunlight. It was called the 'lapis illuminabilis' and attracted the interest of Athanasius Kircher.
There were various kinds of this stone, some glowed like the embers of a fire, others with the characteristic blue flame of burning sulphur.
Most pigments just absorb certain light wavelengths and reflect others, but our Glow Glass Powders also absorb certain wavelengths and re-emit that light energy at different wavelengths. That is, they use energy from the photons in light waves to achieve a glow or “luminescence.” Thus, they are “photo luminescent.” Normal pigments are “passive.” Because of above, our pigments are considered “active.”
Joe has taken this history and created his own pigments that are non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-radioactive, non-carcinogenic, and non-flamable.  If you would like to see what photo luminescence has done to my world, take a look at Joes websites, and start lighting up your world!
 Glow Glass LLC
Joe's Etsy Store