Summer is here and you know what that means – BBQ, swimming, road trips, and enjoying those late summer nights.

What makes a summer night special? Fireworks! Americans buy an incredible 247,550,000 pounds of them every year.

One of the most popular types of fireworks is sparklers. They’re easy to use, pretty, and don’t require a big backyard. Sparklers are gorgeous on the Fourth of July but they can be a great addition to any get-together all year round.

Let’s look at seven fun ways to turn the simple sparkler into a staple of every celebration!

1. Sparkler Send-Off For Weddings

There are many ways to see the bride and groom off after their special day.

Tradition calls for the guests to throw rice. More modern takes have guests throwing rose petals or blowing bubbles.

Nothing beats a sparkler send-off though. Picture it – the lights are out, the guests all light their sparklers. The bride and groom then walk under a canopy of golden sparks.

Seems easy enough but there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, make sure you buy sparklers that will last long enough. A 36-inch sparkler lasts for four minutes, 20 inch lasts two minutes, and 10 inch lasts for four seconds.

Second, be safe. Don’t hold the sparkler directly over the couple. Leave a little space between the row and the couple so that sparklers don’t singe anyone.

2. Better Than Birthday Candles

How many years have you topped your birthday cakes with mere candles? At this point, it’s kind of boring.

Dress up any birthday cake with a sparkler instead! Think about how dazzling the cake will look when it comes out, topped with gorgeous sparklers.

You can’t blow sparklers out like you can candles, but that’s OK. The birthday girl or boy will have more time to make wishes while the sparklers burn out.

Bonus idea: some places sell sparklers in the shape of numbers. Look for those for an easy way to upgrade your cake.

3. Shapes With Sparklers

Looking for a photo that’s going to rack up tons of likes on Instagram? Grab a bunch of sparklers and head out to the lawn.

Here’s a step by step way to make an amazing image out of sparklers.

• Think of an easy shape, like a star, heart, or lightning bolt.
• Stick sparklers into the ground into said shape.
• Light them all up at once and take a photo.

This awesome idea works best at night, of course. And if you want to sit inside of the shape, be safe about it. Make sure you have enough space between yourself and the sparklers and never step over the sparklers themselves to get in or out of the shape.

4. Educational Tools

Believe it or not, there are some great games to turn a night with sparklers into an educational tool. You’ll want to have some sparklers for kids handy for these great learning games.

Here’s how you can make playing with sparklers a fun and educational experience:

• Trace the alphabet with the sparklers
• Practice drawing numbers in the air
• Light a sparkler and count as high as you can before it burns out
• Recite as many state names and/or capitals as you can before it burns out
• Practice making clock hands
• One person writes something with the sparkler and the other person guesses what it is

As you can see, there are lots of educational games you can play with sparklers for kids.

5. Sparkler Shower

Looking for a craft project that’s a little more advanced? We’ve got you covered.

This easy-to-make craft takes just a few minutes and needs only a few extra supplies. You’ll get tons of bang for your buck though!

All you’ll need is a pack of sparklers and a roll of tape. Here’s what to do next:

• Grab a bunch of sparklers, usually eight but you can go higher
• Group them together leaving one sticking out
• Tape all of them together tightly
• Bend the wires at the bottom to create a stand for the sparklers to stay upright

Make sure you’ve got plenty of space when you go to light it up. Your sparkler shower can potentially shoot a bunch of sparks four feet tall or higher.

Enjoy this spectacular way to light up the night!

6. Write With Sparklers

Have you ever seen those cool images where someone writes a word with sparklers? Here’s how to do it:

• Gather several friends – one per letter is best
• Have them write the letter backward so that the camera picks it up the correct way
• Manually adjust the shutter speed on your DSLR camera to three seconds
• Start the letter on the count of one and end it by the count of three

Putting your camera on a tripod makes a big difference here. As you can see, this is a group effort, so it’s perfect for parties!

7. Stay Safe

The most important thing to do with sparklers is to stay safe. While sparklers are fun, if not used correctly, they can be dangerous. They’re the most common cause of injuries because they’re commonly underestimated.

Here’s how you can have fun with sparklers in a responsible, and safe way:

• Keep a bucket of sand or water nearby to dump your sparkler in case it gets too hot.
• Use a plastic cup as a sparkler shield. Just poke a hole through the bottom and stick the sparkler through.
• Always use sparklers and any other fireworks in an open area, never indoors
• Supervise any children using sparklers and never give one to a child under five years of age

Get Ready For Fun With Sparklers!

Now that you know all of the fun ways to use sparklers for holidays or on any other day, what are you waiting for? Grab a handful, get some friends together, and go outside to have fun!

If you’re looking for the very best sparklers, we’ve got you covered. Whether it’s for your wedding, a holiday like Diwali, or for fun around the house, we’ll take care of you.

Shop with us today and find the perfect way to add sparkle and light to your life!

There’s never too much sparkle and shine, especially in your greatest moments.

One of the most loved effects for a fun photo is undoubtedly the sparkler. Since having fireworks at every event might be a tad expensive and dangerous, hand-held fireworks do the trick.

When you’re capturing keepsake moments on your camera, it’s important to know how to capture the photo, especially when using sparklers. It’s a tad tricky, but once you have the hang of it, you’re good to go.

To give you a little help, we’ve come up with tons of tips and tricks to help you take your best sparkler photographs. Keep on reading to perfect your sparkler photography.

Know Your Basics

One of the most important parts to taking a successful sparkler photo is knowing the basics of your camera. Throw your DLSR in manual mode, and let’s get started.

When talking about ISO, we are talking about the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher your ISO, the more light your camera will be aware of and pick up on.

Shooting at a high ISO is ideal for dimly lit situations; however, it could produce some grain. Experiment with your camera and see what it can do.

Controlling the aperture controls the depth of field and the amount of light you let into the photo. Think about aperture when thinking about focus and ambient light.

A larger aperture, a smaller f/number, will create a shallower depth of field and vice versa. Again, experiment with you camera and see what you love to do!

When we talk about shutter speed, we are talking about the amount of time you’re allowing the camera to take in light. Shutter speed heavily comes into play when thinking about motion.

If something is moving faster, use a higher shutter speed. The slower something is moving, the lower you can make your shutter speed.

All of these things come into play when knowing how to take sparkler pictures.

Grab a Tripod

Once you know all the basics, it’s crucial to know the importance of a tripod. A tripod, especially when starting out taking sparkling photos, can help capture the perfect shot.

A tripod is also good when working with an older camera body that may not be able to do well in situations of low light and little movement.

Some of the best long exposure photos and excuses to use a tripod are the beautiful wedding sparkler photos you see floating on the internet.

In case you aren’t sure what a long exposure photo is, don’t worry. We are here to help. A long exposure photo uses a very slow shutter speed to capture crisp stationary objects while capturing the motion in moving objects.

Specifically, in sparkler photos, you have a stationary person using a sparkler to draw with light. All of the sparklers movements can be captured using long exposure, allowing you to use the sparkler almost as a paintbrush.

Let’s Get to the Details

When learning how to take a sparkler photo, a lot of experimentation is involved. Practice makes perfect, right?

Starting out, set your ISO to 1000. This will make your camera super sensitive to the light, your subject and sparklers will be illuminated.

Set up your tripod so there isn’t an overwhelming amount of movement for the camera to pick up on. You would be surprised at how much movement an unsteady hand can add.

As far as aperture, try f8 or even f16. This will open the shot up to a greater depth of field.

When experimenting with shutter speed, try for 3 seconds. This will allow ample time for your camera to capture the moving sparkler.

Like said before, devote some time for trial and error. Buy the perfect pack of sparklers and use your family and friends as models to practice.

Don’t forget your settings will change based on location and event. Playing with sparklers on the beach is much different from using sparklers at a wedding.

In a wedding, you will experience tons more light that should be taken into consideration, and the bride and groom will most likely be moving.

Other Things to Consider

Ambient and extra light can greatly affect your photos, especially when using such other bright lights such as sparklers. Ambient light, such as a soft sunset or white lights strung across a wedding venue, can be your friend if you let it.

Having pure darkness contrasted with the harsh light of a sparkler can be a tricky situation to deal with. But when it’s mastered, it can be fun.

One of the biggest things to consider is safety. Make sure when experimenting with sparklers there is plenty of open space.

Please make sure sparklers aren’t coming into contact with anyone’s clothing, skin, or any other belongings. Damage or injury can turn any good celebration upside down.

The last, and possibly most important, point to remember is have fun. Sparklers not only illuminate a photo, they can illuminate a smile. There’s a reason so many people use them in times of high emotion and celebration.

Don’t be afraid to play around and have fun when learning how to take sparkler pictures. Fireworks, no matter the size, are bursts of energy ready to be showcased.

Sparkler Photography For All

With a little imagination, patience, and fun, you can become an expert in sparkler photography. Sparklers are perfect for weddings, fun on the beach, Fourth of July, birthday parties and so much more.

All of these events and holidays are days you don’t want to forget your camera. Be prepared and learn how to take amazing sparkler photos with all the above tips and tricks.

Remember, it’s okay to go through some trial and error, and always make sure you are using the sparklers in a safe and open location.

If you are need of some sparklers for your big day or just want to see the other magical moments others have captured, make sure you check out the rest of our site.