Jack-o'-lantern Lava Lamp - STEAM Halloween | Halloween - CleverPatch

Step 1Draw a jack-o'-lantern face on the outside of your glass jar. Allow to dry. Bake the jar to make the design permanent following the Glass & Porcelain Marker instructions. Allow the jar to cool before continuing.
Step 2Twist two or more chenille stems around the top of the jar and bend the ends into spirals to create the top of the jack-o'-lantern.
Step 3Fill the jar approximately one-third full of water. Add a few drops of orange liquid watercolour (a little goes a long way!) and mix well.
Step 4Fill the jar with oil, making sure not to overfill it. We have used baby oil, but you could also use a cooking oil such as vegetable oil. You could even experiment with both to see which you think works best!
Step 5Add an effervescent tablet to the jar and watch your Jack-o'-Lantern Lava Lamp come to life!
How does this work? Water is a hydrophilic (water-loving) compound, while oil is hydrophobic (water-fearing), meaning that they won’t mix. The lava lamp effect is created as the effervescent tablet reacts with the water in your jar, creating carbon dioxide. The bubbles of carbon dioxide created attach to the water, bringing it to the surface as it is less dense than the oil!