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How to Make Glowsticks Out of Christmas Lights

Ready-made glow sticks you buy from stores produce light by combining certain chemicals. You activate the chemicals by bending the glow stick so a membrane inside the tube breaks and the chemicals mix and react. The stick then produces glowing light until the chemical reaction ceases. However, you can make your own type of glow sticks without chemicals by using old Christmas lights and straws.

Things You'll Need

Christmas LED lights
Heavy-duty colored straws
Clear sticky tape
Aluminum baking sheet
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Put your Christmas lights on a table along with a packet of heavy-duty, colored straws. Use straws similar to those you get with your soda in a fast-food restaurant as you don't want them to bend too easily.
- 2
  Slide one Christmas light into the end of the straw so that the bulb holder is fully inserted.
- 3
  Wrap a strip of clear sticky tape around the straw to secure the lightbulb holder. Repeat the process until all the Christmas lights are inside the straws.
- 4
  Cut the aluminum baking sheet into strips 1/4 inch wide, using scissors. Ensure you have the same number of aluminum strips as you have Christmas lights. Cut each strip about 1 inch shorter than the length of the straws. Measure the straw or use another straw as a template.
- 5
  Slide the aluminum strip inside the open end of the straw until the end of the strip disappears inside the straw. If a strip crumples, remove it and use a new strip.
- 6
  Put a small strip of clear tape over the end of each straw to prevent the aluminum strip from falling out.
- 7
  Test your Christmas glow sticks. Ensure that the straws light up and the aluminum strips act as reflectors.

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