How to Make Realistic Specimen Jars
- 1). Spread out the newspaper on your work space. Set the jar lids down onto the newspaper with the tops facing up. Evenly space out the jar lids on the newspaper. Apply an even layer of black spray paint to the outer surface of the lids. Let them sit overnight to dry completely.
- 2). Wash the jars. If they have glued on labels, soak them in hot soapy water for 10 minutes or until the labels begin to lift off. Remove the labels and the glue. Rinse out the jars and dry them.
- 3). Place one grow-in-water toy in each jar. Add 1 teaspoon of used coffee grounds or 3 drops of green food coloring to each jar. Fill the jars with water, leaving 1 inch of space between the water line and the top of the jar. Let the grow-in-water animals sit overnight to absorb the water and expand in the jars.
- 4). Screw on the lids of the jars. Wrap the sides of the lids with brown twine. Heat up a glue gun. Apply a small dab of hot glue to the ends of the twine to glue it in place.
- 5). Cut rectangles of paper that will fit the sides of your specimen jars. Examine the specimen jars and decide what the grow-in-water animals now look like. Create a little story behind each one by coming up with a fake exotic location, how it was found, who found it and the date of preservation. Write the story on the paper to make the label for the specimen jar.
- 6). Crinkle up the labels into balls and unfold them to give them an "aged" look. Soak three tea bags in warm water for three minutes; then lightly wring them out. Pour the tea water into a glass pan. Press the labels into the tea water and let them sit for one minute. Cover your work space with parchment paper. Remove the labels and lay them flat on parchment paper to dry overnight.
- 7). Apply an even layer of matte varnish to the printed side of the labels. Let it sit for one hour to dry. Cover the back of the labels with a white glue stick. Position the label on the center of the side of the jar and press the glued side down onto the jar. Let it sit for one hour to allow the glue to set.
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