Erin FoxWho says night lights are just for bed time? With the morning and evenings now darker, it can be harder getting out of bed in the morning without a bit of sunshine to wake you up. A small burst of light can be just the thing you need to help you wake up in the morning.
Make your own evening light or morning light to brighten up your room on a winter’s evening and to wake you up on a cold, dark morning.
You will need a jam jar, battery-operated fairy lights or a battery-operated tea light, black card to create a sleeve, craft knife, craft cutting mat, scissors and glue.
Layer your work place with newspaper when working with the cutting mat. Take the card and wrap it around the jam jar. Mark with pencil where one end of the card meets with the other and cut off the excess card. Mark with pencil where the card meets the top of the jar and trim along the top so that the card is the same height as the jar, using a ruler or measuring tape as a guide.
Lay the card flat on the cutting mat and draw with pencil the shapes you be cutting out. With the craft knife, carefully cut out each shape. Wrap the card around the jar again, gluing in place. Put the fairy lights inside the jar, leaving the switch outside the jar. Place on your bedside table and position it in such a way that it will be easy to switch on first thing in the morning.
Themed light
Accessorise your night light jar with coloured lights and coloured card. Cut out the shape of an owl or other nocturnal creatures. For a wintry themed light, cut out snowflakes from the card sleeve. This is also a good way to store a glow star or glow stick collection. Make sure the glow stars are exposed to plenty of light before placing them in the jar. This will help them to shine brighter in the dark.
You can also make the light from empty cans of baked beans. Tear the label off the washed and dried tin and ask an adult to pierce holes all around the sides, using a power drill or a hammer and a nail. Pop the lights inside the tin.