Fireworks have come a long way since they were invented first thousands of years back by the Chinese. From bamboo shoots filled with gunpowder to hand-carved rockets, today we have sparklers that produce an array of beautiful colors and dazzling lights, firecrackers that produce a loud bang on being blown apart, and aerial bomb shells that explode into the sky. 

Be it the sparklers or the firecrackers or the aerial shells, all these modern fireworks have become an essential part of all occasions around the world. Whether it is the New Year’s celebration or Christmas or a wedding reception, fireworks add beauty, color, light, and happiness to the event and make it memorable for the coming years.

There are lot many people who wish they knew how to make fireworks; every time they see a beautiful display of fireworks. If you are one of them, here is a simple guide to help you make sparklers-one of the most beautiful and popularly used fireworks. 

To make sparklers, you would need potassium chlorate, dextrin, aluminium flakes, and granules of steel, zinc, or magnesium. You must also get iron wires or wooden sticks. Create a chemical mixture using potassium chlorate and dextrin. Add water to this mixture to create a sort of slurry so that it can be easily coated on a wire or a stick. Now, dip this wire in to aluminium flakes. Your sparkler is ready. As you ignite one end of the sparkler, it would burn gradually to the other end creating bright and shimmering sparks.

When making sparkler, you may add a variety of chemicals to create colors. For instance, you may add strontium nitrate for red color, and barium nitrate for green color. Also, do add fuel and oxidizer along with other chemicals to ensure that the sparkler burns slowly and progressively rather than exploding.

If you have understood how to make fireworks, and are excited to make sparklers all on your own, keep few important things in mind:

• When making the sparkler, do leave enough uncoated space at one end of the wire or the sick to enable safe handling
• Do not burn the sparkler till the time it is completely dry
• Keep the sparkler away from heat and high humidity
• Use of fireworks is restricted in certain areas. So, before you burn the sparklers that you have made on your own or you have bought from the market, do check the local laws and rules.