Layers of liquid with glittered glue and shredded hot glue stick in a test tube

Question

I am trying out the following craft idea, the ingredients and steps are as follows:

Ingredients

1. Water (or distilled water) that is dyed using three colors.
2. A Test tube with cork.
3. Hot-glue stick (and shredded into small 1mm to 5mm size)
4. Glitters Glue (with different colors)

Steps

1. Pour the red dyed color water into the test tube (around 5ml to 10ml).
2. Put some shredded hot-glue stick and make sure that it covers the red dyed water.
3. Pour some glittered glue and wait for 10 mins before putting another layer of shredded hot-glue stick.
4. Wait for a day (to ensure that the glue fully dries).
5. Pour the blue dyed color water into the test tube (around 5ml to 10ml).
6. Put some shredded hot-glue stick and make sure that it covers the blue dyed water.
7. Pour some glittered glue and wait for 10 minutes before putting another layer of shredded hot-glue stick.
8. Wait for a day (to ensure that the glue fully dries).
9. Pour the green dyed color water into the test tube (around 5ml to 10ml or to near the tip of the test tube).
10. Close the test tube with the cork.
11. Enjoy the multiple layers of dyed water with glittered glue and shredded hot glue stick.

Illustration

Question

Now the most important part - will the above craft idea work?

Concerns

1. Will the glittered glue eventually give way, regardless of whether the test tube is shaken or not?
2. Do I need to mix special glue (like water-proof silicone glue) with the glittered glue to strengthen the layering?
3. What other precautions or measures do I need to take to ensure all the layers will stay where they are supposed to be?

Answer 1

Yes, it's likely that an off-the-shelf glitter glue will give out, if it hardens at all in the wet environment. Glitter glue is a PVA glue, which tends to soften and dissolve when exposed to water; it's the same base as "washable school glue," and while different PVA glues have different solubilities, the base used in glitter glues is a highly soluble base for easy clean-up when used by children. "Shredded hot glue" is not going to provide a sufficient moisture barrier to prevent the glue from eventually being dissolved away by the water, and it's unlikely that the PVA glue will sufficiently bond to the glass to stop liquid from seeping between layers, especially as it begins to dissolve.

You may wish to use a different type of glue, but as an alternate approach, evaluate what appearance you want from this at the end. Is it just layers of translucent colors? If so, consider tinted crafting resins (please follow all safety instructions!); these will be solid when they cure, and will have no risk of spilling or mingling with each other. If the liquid appearance is important, use a waterproof glue that will also adhere to glass, such as aquarium glue, but be aware that this may not dry when in direct or near-direct contact with the liquid. You'll want to test it before committing to your full project.