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Craft Tutorials | Crafts for Kids | Animal Crafts for Kids | Dinosaur Nightlight
Animal Crafts for Kids

Dinosaur Nightlight

Author by Amanda Davis on August 16, 2024 Updated on August 16, 2024

4.94 from 16 votes
Kids will love creating this dinosaur night light, as well as displaying it next to their bed in their room!
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3 dinosaur terrariums
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Kids love dinosaurs, so putting together this dinosaur nightlight from a mason jar will be an especially fun project they can make! They will love knowing it’s right next to them while they sleep.

3 dinosaur terrariums


 

Why this project works


An easy-to-make dinosaur nightlight is a great way to foster your child’s imagination. They can create the scene inside their little night light world using supplies you might already have on hand.

Small plastic dinosaur toys are inexpensive and can often be found at dollar stores and big box department stores. Use faux moss, mini figurine trees, rocks, sand, and whatever else you’d like to add to create a magical prehistoric scene in a jar. There are so many different ways to make your own nightlight, hop over to our mason jar aquarium for another fun project if you happen to have extra mason jars!

dinosaur jar terrarium night light lit up

Helpful Project Information:


  • Age Level: 6 and up
  • Mess Factor: Medium
  • Level of Difficulty: Medium (cutting, hot glue gun)
  • Time to Complete: less than 45 minutes
  • Cost Estimate: Approximately $6.50 each

Craft supplies you will need


lableed supplies for dinosaur night lights
Get full list of supplies and directions in the printable version at the end of this post.

How to Make a Dinosaur Night Light


These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this project. Please scroll down to simply print out the instructions!

  1. Turn the moss upside down and trace the mason jar lid with a black marker. Cut out the moss circle.
moss with a circle traced on it
  1. Cut a strip wide enough to cover the band of the jar lid.
  2. Use hot glue to attach the moss to the lid.
  3. Turn the lid upside down and use E6000 glue to attach the submersible light to the inside of the lid. Hot glue will not hold as well. Allow to dry completely.
child putting light in jar lid
  1. Add sand to the jar first.
child pouring sand into jar
  1. Place flat glass marbles, rocks, plants, and dinosaurs inside the jar to create a terrarium. Add moss for a natural look.
child picking up rocks
child putting moss into jar
  1. Place the lid onto the jar.
child putting lid on a jar
  1. Glue a few rocks and a dinosaur to the top of the jar lid.
child holding dinosaur terrarium nightlight

Crafting Tips


  • Because the items inside the jar are not glued in place, you can rearrange your terrarium anytime you like.
  • Check dollar stores and toy departments for miniature trees and plastic dinosaurs. Hit thrift stores too!
mason jar terrarium

Kids will love this dinosaur night light, a fun way to spend an afternoon! Be sure to check out our mason jar aquarium night light and our fairy and unicorn night light as well.

More Dinosaur Projects


  • Movable Dinosaur Craft
  • Clothespin Dinosaur Craft
  • Coffee Ground Fossils
dinosaur toy on a night stand

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3 dinosaur terrariums
Print Project
4.94 from 16 votes

Dinosaur Night Lights

Kids will love creating this dinosaur night light, as well as displaying it next to their bed in their room!
Age Group: Kids Crafts
Project Type: Crafts
Makes: 1 terrarium

Supplies

  • 16- ounce plastic mason jar with lid
  • Plastic plants/trees
  • Small rocks
  • Sand
  • Flat glass marbles
  • Moss
  • Plastic dinosaurs
  • Submersible candle lights

Craft tools

  • Hot glue gun
  • E6000 glue
  • Scissors

Instructions

  • Turn the moss upside down and trace the mason jar lid with a black marker. Cut out the moss circle.
  • Cut a strip wide enough to cover the band of the jar lid.
  • Use hot glue to attach the moss to the lid.
  • Turn the lid upside down and use E6000 glue to attach the submersible light to the inside of the lid. Hot glue will not hold as well. Allow to dry completely.
  • Add sand to the jar first.
  • Place flat glass marbles, rocks, plants, and dinosaurs inside the jar to create a terrarium. Add moss for a natural look.
  • Place the lid onto the jar.
  • Glue a few rocks and a dinosaur to the top of the jar lid.

Expert Tips & FAQs

  • Because the items inside the jar are not glued in place, you can rearrange your terrarium anytime you like.
  • Check dollar stores and toy departments for miniature trees and plastic dinosaurs. Hit thrift stores too!

This project was inspired by The Tiptoe Fairy. Our dinosaur nightlight originally appeared on this blog on September 18, 2020.

  • Author
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Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years.
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Filed Under: Animal Crafts for Kids, DIY Gift ideas, Easy Crafts for Kids, Mason Jar Crafts Tagged With: boys, dinosaur, night light, terrarium

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Comments

  1. Alice D says

    June 6, 2024 at 10:18 am

    Love this ideal! It will be on my list of crafts for the summer with my grandsons.

    Reply
  2. Davina Blystone says

    May 14, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    Where can I buy submersible lights?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      May 23, 2023 at 3:14 pm

      We got ours on amazon https://amzn.to/432chbD

      Reply
  3. Grace says

    January 29, 2021 at 7:07 am

    Love the idea of this, but question… how long do the lights last? And are they on continuously? If they are glued to the lid, how often do you need to replace the lid?

    Thank you.
    Grace

    Reply
    • Bonnie says

      September 19, 2021 at 9:10 am

      I used small velcro strips on mine so I could switch out light when necessary.

      Reply
  4. Terry says

    September 26, 2020 at 7:40 am

    Love this idea it Will make a great project for me and my grandchildren

    Reply
4.94 from 16 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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