These Make Your Own DIY Light Up Mason Jar Aquariums are the perfect craft for kids of all ages. Teens and tweens really love this craft because they can take it home and put it on their nightstand for display. Plus, it’s very calming to look at while you fall asleep. This is a sponsored post. This post contains affiliate links.
Updated 6/2022
This little “make your own” light up jar aquarium is super fun for everyone to make. We were so excited to figure out a way to add underwater lights. Molly likes to put her little jar aquarium on her bookshelf at night with the light glowing. She even brings it to the kitchen table for lunchtime, too.
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You can totally make these with your kids in an afternoon. It is so much fun!
Supplies needed to make your own DIY Light Up Mason Jar Aquariums
- Aquarium gravel
- Small seashells
- Cheap aquarium plants
- Plastic sea creatures
- Mason Jars – glass or plastic
- Water with blue food coloring
- submersible LED lights
How do you make your own DIY Light Up Mason Jar Aquariums?
Start by adding the plant before the gravel. Push the plant to the side as you fill the jar with gravel. Do this in a circle, so that you cover all sides of the plant base. We filled ours about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall.
If your plant is too tall for your jar, just snip it off at the top.
Next, it’s time to add your plastic sea creatures. Please ONLY use plastic sea creatures, not any real ones!
We found an octopus who reminded us a bit of Hank from Finding Dory as well as a sea star who reminded us of Peach from Finding Nemo.
Next, we added a few seashells, and Molly hid a shark lurking in the plant.
We tinted our water with just a few drops of blue food coloring. I wanted to keep it light, so we could see all the fun things in the jars. You can use plain water and skip this step, but we like the blue.
Then, it’s time to slowly fill the jar with water.
Here’s the fun part — the lights! You can find these at the craft store and even Walmart. They are submersible LED lights. I used E-6000 to attach to them to the inside of the lid. Add a dab of adhesive to the light and to the lid, then wait a couple minutes for both to get a little tacky. Then, stick them together. In just a few minutes they’ll be stuck.
When you want to turn the light off, just unscrew the lid and twist the light. You can also replace the batteries as needed, so you can use your light up aquarium a long time!
Screw the lid on, and your aquarium is ready to go.
More Summer Fun Crafts for Kids
- How to Make a DIY Fairy Door
- How to make Disney Inspired DIY Rapunzel Hair Pretend Play
- DIY Marshmallow Catapult
- Edible Mud Slime Sensory Play
- How to make a Pirate Hook
- DIY Harry Potter Wizard Wands from Chopsticks
- How to make a DIY Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters
- Dinosaur Ice Rescue
More Mason Jar Ideas
- DIY Light Up Gnome Mason Jars
- DIY Disney Light Up Mason Jars
- How to Make Mason Jar Fairy Houses
- Let’s Make a Mason Jar Christmas Snow Globe
- Magnetic Sand Sensory Play Jars
- Make a Mason Jar Snow Globe
- DIY Mercury Mason Jar Votives
More Under the Sea Fun
- Deep Sea JELLO Fishing Cups
- How to Make Summer Fun Beach Pull Apart Cupcake Cake
- How to make Mermaid Starfish Wands
- Free Kids Printable Mermaid Puzzle Pack
- Let’s Make Summer Beach Pudding Cups
- Under the Sea Party Pretzels
- Sea Life Slime
- Super Easy Deep Sea Shark Fishing Themed Cupcakes
- Lets Make Starfish OREOs
- Ocean Themed DIY Binoculars for Kids
Make your own DIY Light Up Mason Jar Aquariums
Materials
- Aquarium gravel
- Small seashells
- Cheap aquarium plants
- Plastic sea creatures
- Mason jars
- Water with blue food coloring
- submersible LED lights
Tools
- scissors
Instructions
- Start by adding the plant before the gravel. Push the plant to the side as you fill the jar with gravel. Do this in a circle, so that you cover all sides of the plant base. We filled ours about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall.
- If your plant is too tall for your jar, just snip it off at the top.
- Next, it’s time to add your plastic sea creatures.
- We found an octopus who reminded us a bit of Hank from Finding Dory as well as a sea star who reminded us of Peach from Finding Nemo.
- Next, we added a few seashells, and Molly hid a shark lurking in the plant.
- We tinted our water with just a few drops of blue food coloring. I wanted to keep it light, so we could see all the fun things in the jars. You can use plain water and skip this step, but we like the blue.
- Slowly fill the jar with water.
- Use E-6000 to attach to them to the inside of the lid. Add a dab of adhesive to the light and to the lid, then wait a couple minutes for both to get a little tacky. Then, stick them together. In just a few minutes they’ll be stuck.
- When you want to turn the light off, just unscrew the lid and twist the light. You can also replace the batteries as needed, so you can use your light up aquarium a long time!
- Screw the lid on, and your aquarium is ready to go.
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45 comments
What a cute idea. I love Finding Dory and this would be a cute little after movie craft. My daughter would also love to have a bowl of Campbells and some Goldfish crackers.
These little light-up mason jar aquariums are simply adorable! What kid wouldn’t love their own little aquarium? I’m looking forward to taking the grandkids to see Finding Dory and I would love to make these with them.
This is a very colorful and creative aquarium. It can really make great home decors.
That is such a fun, clever craft! My kids would love to make these little aquariums. Goldfish is definitely a staple around here- the kids love it as a snack!
Oh how fun! Those jars are so pretty. This is an awesome little project for the kids to do.
What a fun craft idea, they wound up looking very pretty!
Those Light Up Mason Jar Aquariums turned out so cute! I’m a sucker for mason jar crafts. It’s crazy how many ways you can use a mason jar!
My daughter would make so many of these they’d be all over the house. We saw the movie today, adorable. We have bought several Dory based foods so far because she HAS TO HAVE IT!
This is so cute and so easy to make! My daughter is a huge Dory fan so I’m sure she’d love to make one of these.
Oh this is really cute, my daughter has been asking for Finding Dory toys since she saw the first commercial. She would love to do this instead, it is simple yet cute.
They had a bag of goldfish but they ate them all up. lol
This is so awesome! They are so colorful and bright and such a fun project to make.
Cute idea and so easy to do with kids. Will recommend this craft to my friends who has kids. The girl is so adorable, by the way!
Oh my gosh, these are so adorable. What a perfect project to do with the kids while they are out of school and have Finding Dory on the brain! 😉
These are so cool. My kids would love to make something like this! Such an awesome idea.
I LOVE this! My kids would totally want the real fish in there lol
I love this idea! It looks super creative and really fun thing to do with the kids! Plus, it looks great 🙂
What a cute idea! My daughter would love to make those. I just hope I can find one of those led lights.
How cute are these?! My littles would love this!
Where can I find the LED lights that you used for the project
At Joann in the floral department. I think they also have them at other craft stores as well. Just make sure they say “submersible”
Made these for my girls and their friends. They loved them and they are super cute. Thanks!
I’m so glad!!
Ok….I am in! After shopping at hobby lobby, Michaels, and the dollar store, we still came up empty for the cute fish animals! Can you recommend where I might look?
Thank you for this craft. My grandchildren are going to love it.
I found them at Target. I think Walmart might have them too.
Hi there! We have made these aquariums and they look great. But after a couple of weeks the water is stagnant. Any ideas on keeping the water fresh? Or do you just change it every week? Thanks
I’m not sure. I did not notice that our water was stagnant. I honestly don’t know if either of these makes a difference, but we used bottled water, and I had just sterilized the mason jars because I was using the box of them I had for both canning and for making these aquariums.
That is such a cute idea! I love it!
These are so cute! How long do they last? Does it get moldy?
We’ve had them in my daughter’s room for months, and no mold. We just change out the lights when they die. The lights go out depending on how long you keep them going at night. I usually turn hers out after 15 minutes or so, so they lasted a good while.
nice little aquarium
What a great Idea! Where did u get the Aquaruim plants and colorful sea creatures for the Aquaruim?
Thanks!
I got them at Target in the toy department.
This is so cute!! What size mason jars did you use?
I used the pint size jars.
does it work without the light??? like you can see the aquarium?
Yes! I just added the light so my daughter would have a fun nightlight to look at when she goes to bed.
What kind of adhesive did you use? I noticed they had different kinds for fabric, etc. Heading to Joann now to get the lights, would the adhesive be there as well?
I used E-6000 glue
We love this idea and have shared it to our fans on Facebook 🙂
I can’t find a light that can be turned off like the one you used!! Online and in stor. Help!! I need 2 lights.
I am also like Lauren. I cannot find the lights like you used. I need these same lights. Please share where you got them. Brand or any info to help find them. I need these asap for Birthday gifts for twins. Thank you.
Unfortunately, I cannot locate those lights anymore. I originally bought them at Joann’s in 2016. But, I’ve searched every craft store and Amazon and they don’t seem to be carried anywhere. I have found these lights work just fine in subsequent mason jar aquariums I’ve made. https://amzn.to/2mPiiGa
You hot glue the bottom of the light to the inside of the lid and then just gently unscrew or screw to turn the light on and off.
Can you tell me where exactly you got the led light. I’m having s hard time finding that kind.
I’ve linked directly in the post to the lights I use now.
This is a great little project to do with the kids on rainy days.