Stained Glass Fairy Suncatcher

We’re all about fairies here! We like to dance like fairies, eat like fairies, play like fairies, and decorate like fairies. My daughter wanted to make a fairy suncatcher for our window and so we used the simplest “stained glass” suncatcher technique.

Materials:

• clear plastic (you can use toy packaging, sweater bags, just about anything will do)
• tissue paper
• permanent marker (“Sharpie”)
• stencil (unless you are an artist!)
• glue and water mixture
• paintbrush
• scissors

Directions:

1. Using a black permanent marker, draw or trace your image on the plastic.

2. Turn your design over and coat with watered-down glue.

3. Cut or tear your pieces of tissue paper and clue onto the back of the plastic. Dab with more glue as you go. My daughter also included glitter. I didn’t really like the effect as it just looks like grains of sand and dirt when the sun shines through but it wasn’t my fairy suncatcher project, now was it? And if mommy wants to make her own well then she knows where the tissue paper is, doesn’t she?

4. Let dry and then trim around the edges.

5. Either put a dab of glue stick on the back and stick directly to your window or leave some clear plastic at top, punch a hole with a single hole punch, and thread through a loop of fishing wire or string to hang.

Educational Connections:

• Art History: What is stained glass? Why was stained glass popular in Gothic Cathedrals? Look at some examples of famous stained glass windows. How is having stained glass different than a painting or a plain glass window?
• Language Arts and Art: Introduce the word “translucent” and the root, “luc”.