Glow in the Dark Ghost Halloween Sensory Bottle DIY

Here’s a fun, glowing ghost Halloween DIY toy and decoration that kids from toddlers to teens will love!

Here is a friendly, glowing ghost Halloween sensory bottle that doubles as a luminary, lantern, or festive, ghostly Halloween decoration. This easy DIY sensory bottle is a fun Halloween party favor and an excellent calming tool to help soothe toddlers and preschoolers if they feel frightened on Halloween night. You can also create friendly ghost crafts and decorations to complement it!

My daughter has always loved everything about Halloween. Since the glow-in-the-dark Halloween pumpkin sensory bottle I made her was a hit, I figured she would also enjoy a glowing ghost luminary. So, I made this glow-in-the-dark ghost bottle craft for her. She loved it–Boo! And I’ll bet your kids will, too! First published on October 26, 2016, this post is regularly updated to enhance its content and ensure it remains current. You might also enjoy these Halloween Art Projects for kids and adults.

Related: Halloween Pumpkin Salt Painting

How to Make a Friendly Glowing Ghost Sensory Bottle:

Sensory bottles like this DIY Halloween sensory bottle are great for calming an anxious child and for no-mess, safe sensory play. Gather the recommended craft supplies listed below and follow the step-by-step instructions in the next section to create glowing ghost sensory bottles that will soothe and entertain young children on Halloween night. For more information about DIY sensory bottles and their uses, check out Calm Down Sensory Bottles 101.

This glowing ghost sensory bottle DIY creates a subtle glow, making it a Halloween luminary decoration that can help guide trick-or-treaters. The glow-in-the-dark loom bands that make this Halloween sensory jar can be ‘charged’ under a regular light or in the sun. On Halloween night, use a black light or pop a glow stick into the glow-in-the-dark ghost loom bands to make them glow even brighter. Or try making one of these gorgeous glowing DIY Halloween Lanterns.

Glow in the Dark Ghost DIY Halloween Sensory Bottle Supplies:

• Empty plastic water bottle (from the recycle bin) or a mason jar
• Goo Gone
• White glow-in-the-dark loom bands
• Water (tap or distilled)
• Choose from the following materials to create a face on the ghost sensory bottle:
  • Permanent marker
  • Black construction paper, scissors, and glue
  • Scissors and black duct tape or electrical tape
    • You also wrap duct tape around the lid to help seal it shut if desired.
• Super glue or hot glue (optional)
• White glow stick (optional)
• Blacklight flashlight (optional)

DIY Glowing Ghost Sensory Bottle Step-by-Step Directions:

Gather the sensory bottle DIY supplies from the list above and follow the step-by-step instructions below to make this easy Halloween sensory bottle ghost craft and decoration.

Related: Halloween Ghost Craft and Decoration

1. Clean the empty water bottle or mason jar:

• To make this Halloween sensory bottle, use a recycled plastic water bottle or a glass Mason canning jar with a lid.
• Peel off the sticker on the bottle (if there is one) and use Goo Gone to remove the sticky residue, if necessary.

2. Fill the empty plastic bottle or jar halfway up with water:

• Fill the empty plastic water bottle or mason jar with water halfway up.

3. Add white glow-in-the-dark loom bands to the sensory bottle DIY:

• Drop white glow-in-the-dark loom bands into the recycled bottle or jar.
  • We used the whole bag of white loom bands to make the Halloween ghost sensory bottle shown in the photographs.
• Sensory bottles like this glowing ghost calm-down jar look best filled with loom bands.

4. Top Halloween sensory bottle craft off with water:

• Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. 
• The idea is to fill it to the top so no air remains in the bottle.

5. Put the lid on the ghost sensory bottle:

• Place the lid on the plastic bottle or glass jar, but don’t glue it shut yet.

6. Add a ghost FAce onto the DIY Halloween sensory bottle:

• Choose one of the following options to create a face for the ghost sensory bottle:
  • Use a black permanent marker to draw a simple ghost face onto the outside of the Halloween ghost sensory bottle DIY, as shown in the photographs for this post.
  • Use scissors to cut pieces of black construction paper into an oval shape for the ghost’s eyes and a larger oval or amoeba-like shape for the open mouth. Then glue them onto the sensory bottle.
  • Cut pieces of black duct tape (or electrical tape) with scissors to create the eyes and mouth for the ghost. Then, stick these tape pieces onto the bottle where you want the ghost’s face to be.
    • If your toddlers or preschoolers peel the construction paper or duct tape ghost face off the bottle, use Goo Gone to remove any remaining sticky tape residue, then add a new face if needed.

7. Glue the lid onto the glowing ghost sensory bottle (optional):

• Use hot glue or super glue to secure the lid to the sensory bottle, if desired (optional).
  • This will ensure it remains closed and prevent a curious toddler from spilling the contents.
  • Don’t glue it shut if you want to put a white glow stick in the ghost jar at some point.
    • Leaving it unglued ensures that you can remove the glow stick when it loses its charge and replace it with a new one.
• Alternatively, you can wrap duct tape around the lid to secure it to the top of the bottle, or a combination of duct tape and glue.

Related: Healthy Treats and Fun Alternatives for Halloween

DIY Halloween Sensory Bottle for Kids and Adults

Sensory bottles are great for calming anxious or scared children and non-messy, safe sensory play. This glowing ghost jar is a fantastic Halloween party favor and sensory tool for toddlers and preschoolers, helping them scare the spooks away on Halloween night.

This glow-in-the-dark ghost sensory bottle and luminary are excellent DIY Halloween party decorations. Make some friendly ghost crafts with this Halloween sensory bottle for even more ghostly fun! You may also like this collection of Halloween art projects for kids.

For more fun glow-in-the-dark bottles, check out this glow-in-the-dark pumpkin and this super fun ringer game! Visit Calm Down Sensory Bottles 101 to learn more about sensory bottles, their uses, how to make them, and troubleshooting tips.

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

If You Enjoy This DIY Halloween Ghost Sensory Bottle Craft and Decoration, you might also like These Activities:

• Glow in the Dark Halloween Pumpkin Sensory Bottle
• Halloween Pumpkin Salt Painting
• Top 10 Halloween Lanterns
• DIY Rainstick Sensory Bottle
• Best Halloween Art Projects for Kids