Homemade Sun Catchers Children Can Make

Creating homemade sun catchers is a craft project that children of all ages can enjoy. Use materials already in your home to create homemade sun catchers. Create sun catchers with holiday or seasonal themes. Sun catchers can be given as gifts to friends or family or used to decorate the windows in your home.

Tissue Paper Sun Catcher

Children can create their own sun catcher using scraps of tissue paper and some construction paper. Draw out the frame of the sun catcher design on a sheet of construction paper and cut it out. Cut the center from the construction paper, leaving at least one half of an inch all the way around to create a border for the sun catcher. Mix equal parts of white school glue and water in a small container and supply scraps of tissue paper for children to create their design. Lay the frame, glue and tissue paper on a sheet of waxed paper and create the sun catcher by dipping pieces of tissue paper into the glue solution and putting them inside the construction paper frame. Overlap pieces of tissue paper slightly and be sure that all outer edges of tissue paper make contact with the construction paper frame. Allow the sun catcher to dry completely, then peel from the waxed paper. Use a hole punch or the end of a pencil to make a hole in the construction paper frame so that the sun catcher can be hung.

Tissue paper sun catchers can be made in a variety of different sizes and designs. Consider seasonal themes for frame shapes for the sun catcher or creating smaller sun catchers to attach to gifts.

Crayon-shaving Sun Catcher

Instead of throwing away old or broken crayons, turn them into a sun catcher project for your children. Collect pieces of old or broken crayons and use a crayon sharpener or kitchen grater to shave them down into tiny pieces. Scatter pieces of shaved crayon onto a sheet of waxed paper, then place another piece of waxed paper on top of the crayon pieces to sandwich them. Use a clothes iron set on a low heat setting to melt the sheets of waxed paper and crayon pieces together to create the sun catcher design. Allow the sheet to cool completely, then have children cut designs from the sheet using child-safe scissors.

Creating sun catchers from crayon shavings not only helps to get rid of broken crayons, but it can also allow children to create a lot of interesting designs. Consider separating crayon shavings onto separate paper plates to allow children the ability to select colors for their design. Create holiday-themed sun catchers but cutting hearts, shamrocks or stars from the waxed paper, and have your children give them as gifts to teachers or classmates.

References

• Crayola.com