8/15/13

Colored Glue Suncatchers

During Vacation Bible School earlier this summer, Trevor made a beautiful cross-shaped suncatcher by squirting colored glue onto a transparency, letting it dry, then peeling it off.


He loves it and shows it to everyone who visits our house. I thought it would be fun to make more suncatchers using a similar technique.

Materials: plastic lid, white glue, liquid food color, toothpick


Begin by putting a puddle of glue into the middle of the lid.  Pick up the lid and rotate it until there is a thin layer of glue covering the entire base.  We added more glue to the lids in this picture, as there wasn't quite enough.  Better to start with too little though, as you can always add more.


Set your lid down on a flat surface and add a few drops of food color.  

 
Use a toothpick to gently swirl the colors.  Do not overmix!  


Stop when it reaches this point... or sooner.  The colors will continue to blend as the glue dries.

Allow the glue to dry COMPLETELY (2+ days, depending on temperature and humidity), then gently peel the suncatcher from the lid.  It should feel totally smooth with no moist or sticky spots. Press it to a window and enjoy.  Here's Trevor's:


I experimented with mine.  I tried cutting the suncatcher with scissors to make shapes and it worked beautifully.  Would punches work?  Yes!  Some punches cut cleanly and others did not, but most brands cut through it just fine.  As you can see, these stars didn't cut perfectly, but I could easily trim them up.  



Other than the long drying time, this is a really fun craft to do with kids!  

18 comments:

  1. What an awesome idea!!!! I loveeeeeeeeeee them!!!

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  2. Oooooooh, Cindy! These are really pretty! What a wonderful idea! I would love to see Trevor's cross, too!

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    1. I just edited the post to add it. :)

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    2. Thank you so much for posting Trevor's cross! It is beautiful! I can see why he loves it and is proud of it!

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  3. Saw your comment :) I didn't skip ahead ... I work ahead on my DT creations (I have things scheduled till Oct) ... so today's layout was made in June before I decided to start my alphabet challenge :)

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  4. Oh wow! This is such a cool idea!!! TFS! :D

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  5. Love this idea. I so need to try this with Cory. These turned out great!

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  6. I bet your house is full of colorful, fun crafts! These are so neat. I love that you punched yours and they both turned out great.

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  7. Ooooh....how fun! I would love to make some stars too!

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  8. Cool idea; I'll do it with Granddaughter soon. Thanks.

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  9. How fun!! Trevor is so lucky to have you guide him on his artistic endeavors!! :)

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  10. I want to appreciate your effort on making this colored glue sun catcher. Which glue is better for this work?

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    1. An ordinary white school glue like Elmer's works best.

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  11. I don't know how old Trevor was in this picture, but he looks older than 5. Do you think preschoolers (4-5 years) could manage to tilt the lid to coat it with glue, with a little help?

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    1. Trevor was 7 when he made this. Most preschoolers could do this (with plenty of supervision). Have fun!

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