DIY Suncatcher

I don’t know about your kids, but my son loves to see his artwork hung up somewhere. He gets a big smile on his face and loves to show off what he made. I wouldn’t be lying if I told you he has a framed painting in our guest bathroom because he used colors that just happened to match the decor in there.

These suncatchers were no different for him. As soon as I hung them up, he went running to find his dad and asked him to come see what we made. We even mailed these to some relatives out of state and they were less than $5 to ship, which is a steal compared to other crafts, making them perfect for holidays for birthdays for grandparents. This is a fun craft for kids of all ages and ideal for when the weather requires you to stay inside.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pencil
• Construction paper (2 sheets per suncatcher)
• Clear contact paper
• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Yarn or string
• Suction cup with a hook

Place two sheets of construction paper together. Draw the desired shape of the suncatcher on the construction paper and cut it out with the scissors. If you are feeling adventurous, freehand your shape with the scissors. Carefully fold the shape so you can cut the middle out, making a border and keeping it a single piece.

Cut up or tear the tissue paper into small pieces. This is a great way to use up tissue paper that you no longer use or odd colors and patterns you bought but no longer have a need for. This will also help with your child’s motor skills. I learned that toddler safety scissors do not cut tissue paper well.

Cut two large pieces of contact paper. You’ll need enough to cover both sides of the suncatcher. Peel the backing off of one sheet of the contact paper, revealing the sticky side. Place one of the cutout construction paper shapes on the sticky side of the contact paper.

Place the pieces of cut tissue paper on the sticky side of the contact paper, inside the border. Once you have enough pieces of tissue paper on the contact paper to your liking, use double stick tape and place a few pieces on the border and place the second border on top.

Once both pieces of the border are taped together, peel the backing off of the second piece of contact paper and place it on top of the suncatcher. Be sure to work from the bottom up, smoothing out any bubbles or wrinkles that happen to appear while sticking the pieces of contact paper together. Use your fingernail or a coin to secure the contact paper along the outside edges of the border.

Next, you will want to cut out your suncatcher. You will want to leave about a quarter to a half inch between the construction paper and where you are cutting because if you cut too close to the construction paper, the suncatcher will start to peel apart.

After you cut out the suncatcher, use the hole punch to make the hole where you want it to hang and tie the string through the hole. Place the suction cup hooks on your window and hang up the suncatcher for everyone to enjoy!

This is a craft that can easily be modified to fit anyone’s personal style, favorite things or a holiday theme for a cheap price and takes up hardly any storage space.

You can follow along with Claire and all her motherhood adventures on Instagram @daytodayclaire.