Star Light, Star Bright

By Adrianna Zampieri

Do you enjoy making wishes on stars? Then make a wish on the first star you see at the Mitchell Institute Star Party on April 6. Hosted by the Texas A&M University Astronomy Group, peer through a telescope to gaze at the wonders of the universe from 8 – 10 p.m. at the Simpson Drill Field Review Stand. It’s an opportunity to observe the cosmos with fellow star enthusiasts at no cost, and it’s open to both students and the public.

From the famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei who laid the foundation for modern astronomy in the early 1700s to the historical moment of Viking 1 being the first launcher to successfully land on Mars in 1976, the stars, the planets, and the universe have fascinated humans for centuries. Bring the marvel of space into your own home with a few DIY projects.

 Galaxy Slime

Hold the galaxy in your hands with this tutorial from “Twodaloo.” With this colorful, sparkly slime, you can squish the universe between your fingers, jumble up constellations, and realign the planets. It’s a captivating sensory toy for young children to enjoy under supervision, or keep it for a day when adulting is hard and you need to release some stress.

What You Need:

• 1 bottle of Elmer’s Clear School Glue (5 oz)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup Sta-Flo Liquid Starch
• Liquid watercolors
• Fine glitter in a variety of colors

How to Do It:

1. So here’s the skinny on slime-making…you gotta take it slow. You’ll want to put your glue into a bowl first.
2. Then add the liquid watercolors and glitter of your choosing into the bowl. Mix well.
3. Now you can start adding your starch, but only add it in small increments at a time, stirring well to mix after each one to incorporate your starch fully.
4. After the first couple of additions, you’ll need to use your hands to knead the starch in, just like you are making bread dough.
5. Continue to add a little bit of starch at a time and do a “stretch test” after each increment is kneaded in. Once your slime is the consistency you prefer, don’t add any more starch.
6. Congratulations! You’ve just created your very own galaxy. Have you ever seen a more gorgeous bubble of slime?

 Constellation Art

Ursa Major, Orion, and Pegasus are all clusters of stars that come to mind when you think of constellations. “Wear The Canvas” transferred the beauty of these clusters to the walls of her home with only a few simple steps that you can follow to create art inspired by your favorite constellation, whether it corresponds with your Zodiac sign or includes the brightest star visible from Earth.

What You Need:

• Canvas
• Black and gold paint
• Paint brushes
• Gold cardstock
• Glue
• Pencil
• Star template
• Scissors
• Painters tape

How to Do It:

1. Buy a canvas, any size of your choice, and paint it black.
2. Find a star template online. You will need at least two different sizes of stars to correspond with your constellation since stars within a constellation are different sizes. Print them and cut them out.
3. Trace the stars onto the back of your gold cardstock. The number you will need depends on what constellation you have chosen.
4. Then cut out the stars.
5. If desired, glue one star on top of another one, forming a 10-pointed star, or leave your star with just five points.
6. Lay out the stars onto your canvas to form your constellation. When you are happy with their placement, mark a dot on the canvas with a pencil so you know where they go in case your stars accidentally shift or get knock off the canvas.
7. After the marks are made, glue the stars on the canvas one by one.
8. When the glue has dried, use a small, fine tipped paintbrush to connect the stars with gold paint. Use painters tape to help you create smooth, clean lines.  

 Star Garland

Stars blanket the night sky for as far as the eye can see, so use this tutorial to bring the beauty of the stars indoors. Hang a string of stars across your bedroom ceiling to mimic the star-studded night, drape them around your windows like falling stars, and wind them around a string of lights to make them glow. For a classic look, use gold and silver metallic cardstock, or go a little wild and use patterned scrapbook paper and some colorful paint chips from your local hardware store to create some out-of-this-world stars.

What You Need:

• Paper in colors desired
• Lever punch in the shape of a star
• Thread
• Needle
• Scissors

How to Do It:

1. Using the lever star punch, make hundreds of tiny little stars out of the paper you chose. Punch out fewer stars or more stars depending on the length of the garland you want to make.
2. Once you have your collection of stars, start stringing them directly on the thread and keep doing so until the desired length is reached. To ensure the stars will lay flat on the string, thread the needle through the star twice. On one of the five points, poke the needle from the back of the star to the front and then from the front of the star to the back, both punctures side-by-side.
3. When you’ve threaded your stars to the desired length, cut the thread and knot both ends.
4. Hang them throughout your home and have the stars at your fingertips.