Get your Glow on

The days are getting noticeably darker, and while it seems the stress-free days of summer were more than a lifetime ago, I thought it would be a fun idea to bring a little more excitement to the blog this week.

I was first introduced to the idea of the all-wonderful glow stick back in my elementary school days of slumber parties. And while the ideas I have here aren't quite the same as what we used them for back in the day, I still get a little extra dose of happiness from the nostalgia I have from these colorful, glowing entertaining ideas. The neon theme is good for kids and adults alike. And, yes, they belong in more than just raves! 

Neon Party Invitation

Photo courtesy of blovelyevents.com

Table Settings

Don't have glow-in-the-dark tableware? Don't worry!

There are tons of simple and creative DIY solutions.

1. Add Lights

Something as simple as placing a glow stick in a napkin, or a sticking a small LED light to the bottom of a glass can make a big impact.  

Photo courtesy of mazelmoments.com

2. Glow in the Dark Spray Paint

Found some serveware that would work look perfect on your table, but can't figure out how to make it glow? If you're willing to pick up a couple cans of spray paint, you may be in luck. Martha Stewart offers a beautiful example of how spray paint can help you out with getting that "wow-factor" you're going for:

Photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

Check out the tutorial HERE.

EXTRA: Shop Around

If you want to save some time, there are tons of LED and glow tableware available. Here are just a couple of your many, many options:

Glow Cutlery

$2.60 per piece coolglow.net

Glow Straws 

Avg. price $9 per dozen, photo courtesy of trendhunter.com

Glow Cups

$2.75 per piece coolglow.net

Decorations

Glow sticks aren't just fun additions to table settings. Here are just a few examples of fun ways to incorporate glow in all areas of your event.  

1. Glowing Mason Jars 

There are many variations of this trick out there. The most common involves buying glow-in-the-dark paint and splattering it inside a mason jar (see below). Remember, if you choose to take this route, keep the jars under a light before you display them. Preferably for a full day or, at very least, 3-4 hours. After all, you want your guests to admire these beauties as long as possible! 

If splattering around glow-in-the-dark paint seems a little out of your comfort zone, you try filling a jar with clear confetti ribbons or clear glass pebbles and stuck a glow stick inside. The key to this is making sure you aren't just looking at a glow stick in a jar -- make sure that it is covered by your material of choice. 

Photo courtesy of  blovelyevents.com

2. Glowing Cotton Candy

If you have ever spent time on Pinterest, you have probably stumbled upon this idea at one point or another. Nevertheless, I think this is a fun idea to add some glow to your edibles.

3. Neon Hanging Fixtures 

When you are filling a room with black lights, there are tons of options available to make your event space pop. Anything from neon streamers to white decorations will make your space pop.  That being said, there are also other more creative options that most people don't think of. My favorite of which is this fun idea of hanging rainbow Slinkies from the ceiling. 

Finally, you don't need to go all-out and buy the most expensive backlight you can find. You can get a couple of these bad boys for around $4 each through Target or Amazon.

Photo courtesy of amazon.com

 Starting to sound like a good idea, huh? It's sure getting me excited!