Glitter and bead bottle toy

Hi there! Ever wished you could whizz up some quick, easy, budget-friendly  toys for your little one? Yes? Well then this is for you! I made Bump a bottle filled with water, beads, glitter and sequins. I based it on 'the ocean in a bottle' in this post.  My first attempt did not work out too well.... For some reason the oil made everything opaque and look dirty... It was a water-oil emulsion that didn't want to separate out again. Plus I had made it in a 500 ml plastic water bottle, which ended up being too heavy for Bump to hold with one hand once the water and beads were in. So, I attempted a second one. This is how I made it:

Materials:

Small empty plastic bottle (I used a travel-size mouthwash bottle), labels removed.

Glitter.

An assortment of different coloured and sized beads and sequins (if you are anything like me, you will have no problem finding these items in your vast craft stash!).

Food colouring (this is optional. I decided to not use food colouring after using too much in attempt number one).

If you have any small plastic toys like animals or army men, it might be fun to put those in too.

Boiled and cooled water, or water left over from sterilising bottles (my theory on using this water is that over time, you will not get stuff growing in your bottle! I hope I am right!)

Superglue to stick the bottle lid on.

Directions:

1. Fill the bottle 3/4 full with water (you can do more or less depending on the effect you want).
2. Add in your beads, glitter (and toys and food colouring if you are using them).
3. If you want the bottle to be full, add more water. 
4. Put the lid on and test the bottle out. Shake it up and see the beads etc. settle. You can make adjustments - add more or remove depending on your taste.
5. If you are happy with how the bottle and its contents look, dry the inside of the lid well and the thread on the neck of the bottle. Put a few drops of superglue on the thread and screw the lid back on. Leave it to dry for as long as the superglue instructions recommend. You absolutely MUST glue the lid on! You do not want your little one opening a bottle filled with potential choking hazards! Even with the lid glued, I would still recommend that you do not leave your little one playing alone with the bottle.

A really awful photo (my apologies!!) of how the bottle turned out.

Bump loves his! It is great for distracting him when he is being strapped into his car seat (he hates that process!). He stares at it, shakes it about and then watches everything settle. I pop it in his nappy bag when I go out with him so that if he needs distracting, it is available! He also loves to chew the lid and shake the bottle as it makes noise. 

Bump playing with his bottle. I know I am biased as I am his mom, but isn't he just gorgeous? 

I would love to see how yours turn out!

Keep smiling,

Jax