What’s a summer without fireworks? They light up the night during times of celebration, especially on Independence Day, and create lasting memories for young and old alike. But what if you could bring the fun of fireworks indoors without the pyrotechnics? You can with these confetti firecrackers!

Directions:

1. Cut a paper towel tube in half. Put the one half aside for now, and cut the remaining half down its side so that it creates a cuff. Cut the cuff into rings of even sizes.
2. Trim ¼ inch off of the ends of each ring. Stack the rings together, using glue to keep them in place, to create a thick cuff that will fit inside the reserved paper towel tube. Glue this smaller cuff on the inside of the tube, about two inches from the top, to make an internal ledge.
3. Poke a hole in the center of the water bottle cap. Tie the string through the hole so that the cap is centered on the string.
4. Poke two holes on opposite sides of the tube, right above the ledge. Carefully weave a rubber band through the outside of the one hole, through the center of the cap, and out through the second hole; the ends of the rubber band should hang out the sides of the paper towel tube. Use a paperclip on either end to keep the band from slipping inside the tube. Tape down to secure in place.
5. Using card stock, cut a circle that is slightly smaller than the paper towel tube, but big enough to sit on the internal ledge without falling through. Poke a hole through the middle, and weave one end of the string through the hole. Tie a knot to secure the disc to the end of string. Set the disc on top of the ledge, with the other end of the string dangling through the bottom of the tube.
6. Wrap decorative paper around the tube, and cut away any excess paper where it overhangs. Use hot glue to adhere the paper in place. Decorate the cylinder as much as you wish. Fill the inside with confetti.
7. To launch the confetti, pull down on the string to put tension on the rubber band. When you release the string, the bottle cap will hit the disc, pushing it out of the tube along with the confetti. To reload, simply place the disc back onto the ledge, and fill with more confetti!