Make Kid-Friendly Paper Sparklers

In the spirit of the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend, we wanted to share the brilliant concept of sparkless DIY paper sparklers with you! Just in case the idea of a group of five-year-olds brandishing hot, sharp metal skewers doesn’t quite fit the celebratory mood and party atmosphere you’re going for.

While sparkler fireworks and firecrackers are a traditional part of the festivities, they may not always be the safest option for little ones. That’s where this easy (and inexpensive) DIY party supply comes in, providing a flameless alternative to firecrackers that perfectly captures the essence of the 4th of July (or New Year’s Eve!).

With their red, white, and blue colors and eco-friendly sparkle, these sparkler firework crafts let kids indulge in a fun process art project, AND keep them safe from the risks of real sparklers.

Watch us put one of these together in the quick tutorial video below!

Music: Johnathon M. Horner (Beat Mekanik) / Song Title: Christmas Celebration Available at FMA / Creative Commons 4.0

You don’t have to save these speckled DIY sparklers for summer, either. Use them as a kids’ birthday paper craft activity and take-home favor, or pair them with a New Year’s Eve paper chain countdown for festive, fluttery flair! In fact, we might need to make a couple just for general conversations here at b&b HQ – because everything is more fabulous when you are waving a handful of dazzling shimmery paper fringe around, right?

Our handmade paper sparklers are one of those projects that welcome variations – strip them down to the most uncomplicated, fastest process, or add lots of lovely details – we have so many ideas for you in the instructions. They’re also an excellent way for kids to recycle and reuse their spray bottle spray paint fireworks art pieces!

Pair these homemade sparklers with our DIY rainbow noisemakers or make lovely flameless DIY lanterns for the coolest kids’ evening celebration accessories.

How to Make Kid-Friendly Paper Sparklers – DIY Instructions:

Our DIY paper sparkler tutorial will guide you through creating a fireworks centerpiece that embodies the spirit of the 4th of July without the need for fire.

Cut paper and gather sparkler “wands.”

Gather your supplies. I cut standard letter-sized cardstock in half (roughly), so I had rectangles that measured 5 or 6 inches in length and 8.5 inches in width. I also picked out two colors of cardstock for each sparkler – it’s unnecessary, but I think it creates visual depth and adds to that sense of sparkle!

I quickly painted these craft dowels with black acrylic paint (it soaks in fast and dries in roughly five minutes), but you can skip the paint and use anything you prefer or have on hand. Chopsticks, straws, or even sticks would work!

Add gold paint “sparks.”

I added some simple sparkle to our paper using a spray bottle filled with roughly 1 tablespoon of gold acrylic paint and a quarter cup of water (as we did for our fireworks process art). I stacked our paper pieces on a cookie sheet and then hit them with the spray bottle so we’d have strips of gold sparkle across the tops of each piece of paper.

For younger kids who might have trouble putting these sparklers together on their own, this step is a fun way to get them involved.

You can skip the spray bottle painting and use a foam brush or paintbrush to brush a thick strip of gold paint across the top two or three inches of each paper. OR simplify the process even more and totally skip the paint by using shimmery glitter cardstock.

Note: Once dry, I flipped our papers over and spray-painted the opposite sides. It’s not necessary, but it adds more gold sparkle, which is the real highlight of these.

Create crinkled paper (optional).

Repeatedly fold and ball up your paper pieces to create a crinkled paper effect. This step isn’t necessary, but I think it helps the paper “sparks” catch the light from many different angles. Also, kids LOVE making sparkly paper snowballs – ha!

Once adequately crinkled, smooth out so each piece is semi-flat again.

Cut strips into your paper pieces to create fringe.

Cut your paper pieces in half, then create fringe by cutting thin strips into the paper – being sure to stop 1 to 1.5 inches before you reach the bottom.

Affix the paper fringe to the dowel rod with tape.

Use a sticky clear or electrical tape to affix your first piece of fringe onto the end of your dowel rod. Wrap the fringe around the rod tightly until you reach the end. Secure with another small strip of tape.

If you think your paper sparklers will get a lot of intense waving, you may want to line the bottom of your paper strips (where they meet the dowel rod) with a hot glue gun or craft glue instead of using tape. Although, the tape worked fine for our purposes and these have held up for over a year now!

Add layers of sparkly paper fringe.

Keep wrapping the rest of your paper layers on top of your first, tightly securing it with sticky tape.

Finish and wrap with tape.

Add all four paper spark fringe layers and secure with a final 1 to 2-inch strip of clear tape, or wrap with a long piece of electrical tape.

And now you’re officially ready to celebrate a Yankee Doodle Dandy day. Fire up our Fireworks playlist over on Spotify, and prepare to sparkler-flutter your heart out!

Paper Sparkler Color Theme Inspiration

• DIY Wedding Sparklers: For a wedding, use a combination of white, gold, and silver tissue paper for the sparklers. Add delicate lace or ribbon accents to give them an elegant and romantic touch. You can also include small pearls or rhinestones for added sparkle.
• Handmade Graduation Sparklers: For a graduation, use the school colors as the primary colors for the paper sparklers. Incorporate gold or silver tinsel or metallic accents to represent the graduate’s achievements. Add small cut-out diplomas, graduation caps, or other graduation-themed embellishments for a personalized touch.
• Paper Baby Shower Sparklers: For a baby shower, choose pastel colors such as light pink, baby blue, lavender, or mint green, depending on the baby’s gender or the parents’ preference. Add small paper or fabric flowers, cute animal shapes, or polka dots for a sweet and charming effect.
• Kid-Safe Halloween Sparklers: For a Halloween celebration, use a combination of orange, black, and purple tissue paper for the sparklers. Decorate them with small cut-outs of pumpkins, ghosts, or bats, and add a touch of sparkle with silver or gold glitter accents.
• DIY New Year’s Eve Sparklers: For a New Year’s Eve celebration, create paper sparklers using a combination of black, gold, and silver tissue paper. Add sparkling glitter, sequins, or metallic accents for a festive and glamorous look. Incorporate small cut-outs of stars, clocks, or numbers representing the upcoming year to enhance the theme.

These quick and easy party favors are not only a fantastic patriotic craft, but they can also be made by kids themselves, adding a personal touch to your celebrations.

Whether you’re gearing up for a Happy Fourth of July or planning for New Year’s Eve, our sparkler firework craft will light up the occasion in a safe, flameless, and eco-friendly way.

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