Fabric Sparklers

This fun project is a great scrap-fabric-stash buster and will score big points with the kids, and kids at heart, at the next family gathering. They make great festival gifts, too! For this particular tutorial we have used an assortment of silks - habotai, crepe de chine, charmeuse and satins work best when it comes to making the strips of fabric. We've used Dharma Acid dye for coloring the silk. (Or, if you want to skip the dyeing part, which is fun and educational for the kids, for lack of time, aversion to a happy mess, or whatever, you can use our colored silks instead.)

Shopping list:

• Assorted silk fabrics - 36" to 45" wide makes a nice length
• Dharma Acid Dye
• Citric Acid
• Smallish plastic tubs (quart size yogurt containers work great)
• Sticks for stirring
• Rubber gloves
• Unsharpened pencils
• Rings - wooden or plastic between 3 - 4 inches in diameter

Let's get started!

Step 1: Prepare your fabric

Using pre washed fabrics, cut lengths of about 12 inches x the fabric width (you are going for something that will fit into your plastic tub/container and still move around freely).

Step 2: Set up your dye bath

Pre wet the fabric.

Fill your container about ½ full.

In a small container add ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon dye powder - paste that up, add a bit more water and then add to your container.

Add about ¼ teaspoon citric acid.

Add your wetted fabric.

Step 3: Microwave dyeing

Time to microwave! Depending on the number of containers & how much water/dye solution you are working with (and how powerful your microwave is) you will ~wave between 3 and 7 minutes. Set the microwave for no more than 90 seconds at a time and rearrange the fabric in the solution at each pause. Once you can see that the dye solution has gone clear or nearly clear you are done!

Step 4: Rinse and dry

Allow the fabric to cool enough to handle then rinse with cool water and hang to dry.

Step 5: Create fabric strips

Along the short edge of your fabric make ½ inch snips between 1 inch to 1 ½ inch apart. Yay! Now rip those strips!!

You'll end up with strips 1 to 1 ½ inch wide and the length of your fabric (36", 45" 55"?).

Step 6: Assemble ring sparklers (for toddlers)

If you are using rings (best for smaller kids/toddlers) fold your fabric in half and tuck the loose ends through the folded end with the ring caught in the middle (otherwise known as tying a cow hitch around the ring). Repeat until you are happy with the amount of sparkle fabric.

Step 7: Assemble pencil wands (alternative method)

If you are using pencils, gather up an assortment of fabric strips (6-12), and artfully(hahaha) arrange them around the eraser end of the pencil. Bind with tape around the pencil and then wrap with ribbon or another silk strip, and tie off. Alternatively, you can forego the tape and just wrap with the fabric/ribbon - a couple dabs of glue will help make sure all is secure.

Step 8: Let the magic begin!

Now let your magic, unicorn riding self go have some fun!