Free
video
instruction on making glow-in-the-dark star ceiling murals
| |
Free
video
instruction on making glow-in-the-dark star ceiling murals |
Contact information: |
stars@starsovereden.com |
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Materials List
The
table below lists the materials needed to make a star ceiling mural.
|
| Glow in the dark powder |
Amount
needed:
|
4
ounces Aqua, 4 ounces Blue, 2 ounces Violet, and 2 ounces Green
|
Approximate
cost:
|
30
dollars for 4 ounces, 20 dollars for 2 ounces
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for Glow In The Dark Powder for suppliers
|
Comments:
|
All the powders used in these videos were purchased from GloNation.com. I have always found this company’s glow powders to be high quality and reasonably priced. Another supplier is GlowInc.com. This company’s products receive very favorable customer reviews but I have never purchased from them because their powders are twice as expensive as other suppliers. Regardless of where you purchase your powders, GlowInc’s website is well worth exploring. They have several technical articles on glow in the dark materials, and they maintain a lively and informative discussion board where star mural artists share techniques.
Just in case anyone is interested, the emission spectra of the glow in the dark powders used in these video can be found on this link: Emission Spectra |
| Black light (24 inch Fluorescent): |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
20
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Department
stores, lighting stores, or search “Black Light” on the
internet.
|
Comments:
|
Larger
and smaller size fluorescent bulbs are available, but I find the
24 inch model has a nice mixture of power and handiness.
|
| Elmer's Glue-All: |
Amount
needed:
|
At
least five 4 ounce bottles
|
Approximate
cost:
|
3
dollars per bottle
|
Sources:
|
Any
office supply, hardware, or art store
|
Comments:
|
It
is often more economical to buy one 4 ounce bottle and a one-gallon
jug to refill the small one. Yes, you may end up with half a gallon
of glue left over, but your household will be well stocked with glue
for decades to come.
|
| Stiff bristle scrubbing brush (for splatter painting the milky way): |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
3
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Any
hardware store
|
Comments:
|
The
one shown in the video tutorial was purchased from GloNation.com,
the same supplier that sells the glow powders used in the video.
It works fine but similar brushes from hardware store will work just
as well.
|
| Paint brushes (standard children's art brush set): |
Amount
needed:
|
One
or two medium and small brushes
|
Approximate
cost:
|
5
dollars for a set of several brushes
|
Sources:
|
Any
store that sells kids' art supplies
|
| Stiff bristle artist's paint brush with a round head |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
5
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Any
art store or internet art supplier
|
Comments:
|
Synthetic
bristles work perfectly. No need to get a genuine hog bristle paint
brush. If the bristles come to a sharp point, cut them with scissors
to make the end flat, as is shown in the tutorial.
|
| Acetate overheads (also called transparency film): |
Amount
needed:
|
About
10 sheets, depending on the size of your ceiling and your starmap.
|
Approximate
cost:
|
30
dollars for a box of 100 sheets
|
Sources:
|
Office
supply stores, or search the internet for Transparency Film
|
Comments:
|
Be
sure to get the correct kind for your printer, either a laser printer
or an inkjet printer. The acetate type that is made for “plain
paper copiers” seems to work in laser printers but not in inkjet
printers. If you have friends that work in an office or as a teacher,
you may be able to get a few sheets from them for free.
|
| Overhead projector: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
50 – 150
dollars for a used one.
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for Overhead Projector for suppliers
|
Comments:
|
I
found Craig’s List to be a good source for used overhead projectors.
If you have friends that work in an office or as a teacher, you may
be able to borrow an overhead projector for a few days for free.
|
| Syringe (flavor injector): |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
10
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Cookware
stores or search the internet for “Flavor Injector”
|
Comments:
|
Be
sure to get one with screw-on needles at the tip.
|
| Cardstock paper (index paper), white, 110 pound, 8.5 x 11 inch sheets: |
Amount
needed:
|
At
least 20 sheets.
|
Approximate
cost:
|
15
dollars for pack of 250 sheets.
|
Sources:
|
Office
supply stores or search the internet for Card Stock for suppliers
|
| Elmer's Craft Bond spray glue: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
spray can
|
Approximate
cost:
|
5
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Art
or office supply stores, or search the internet for Elmers Craft
Bond Spray
|
| Polycarbonate safety glasses: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
pair
|
Approximate
cost:
|
5
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for Polycarbonate Laboratory Safety Glasses for suppliers
|
| Salt spoon: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
5
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Cookware
stores or search the internet for “Salt Spoon” for suppliers
|
Comments:
|
Smaller
is better
|
| Flat white enamel spray paint: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
can
|
Approximate
cost:
|
4
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Any
hardware store
|
Comments:
|
"Flat" white
means non-glossy white.
|
| White soft body (medium viscosity) acrylic paint: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
2 ounce jar
|
Approximate
cost:
|
6
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Any
art supply store
|
| Stencils of zodiac images |
Amount
needed:
|
As
many as desired on mural
|
Approximate
cost:
|
Many
stencil images are free on the internet
|
Sources:
|
A
very good website for free stencils is SprayPaintStencils.com. If
you don’t find the exact stencil you need there, an efficient
method to search the entire internet for stencil images is this (using
the constellation Capricorn as an example): From the Google main
page, click on the Images link. In the images search word box, type
Capricorn Stencil. After the image results appear, you can narrow
the results to show more stencils in this way: On the left of the
image results, there is a list of search parameters. From this list
click on Line Drawing. This should refine your results to show dozens
of line-based images, mostly in black and white, that can be used
for stencils.
|
| Glow in the dark stickers/decals |
Amount
needed:
|
As
many as desired on mural
|
Approximate
cost:
|
Varies
with size and number of decals
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for Glow In The Dark Decals for suppliers. The company
Dezign (website = DezignWithAZ.com) offers many large artistic glow
in the dark decals. Another good source is EyeCandySigns.net
|
| Foam core board: |
Amount
needed:
|
One
60 inch x 40 inch piece
|
Approximate
cost:
|
15
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Office
supply and art supply stores
|
Comments:
|
Poster
board works also but is not as sturdy as foam core board
|
| Violet laser pointer (5 milliwatt) |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
20
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for 405 nm Laser Pointer for suppliers
|
Comments:
|
Less
expensive ones are available, but they may be low quality. Laser
pointers above 5 mW power can be purchased on the internet, but they
can cause eye damage and are illegal.
|
| Ultraviolet LED flashlight (51 LED bulbs) |
Amount
needed:
|
One
|
Approximate
cost:
|
20
dollars
|
Sources:
|
Search
the internet for 51 LED Ultraviolet Flashlight for suppliers.
|
Comments:
|
UV
flashlights can also be used to detect pet urine stains on carpets
and scorpions, both of which are fluorescent for some reason.
|
