Create pretty suncatchers to hang in your windows, from your porch, etc- with a few easy to follow steps! This a great rainy day project, and perfect for keeping little hands busy!

You Will Need:

Clear Plastic Pony Beads

Pam or Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Metal Baking Tins in Various Shapes and Sizes

Grab a package of clear colored plastic beads at a craft store or mass retailer where craft supplies are available.

Use tin/metal pans of various shapes and sizes as a mold for the suncatchers.

Balian is ready to make some suncatchers!

Give the metal baking sheets, tins or whatever else you may want to use a light spray with a non-stick cooking spray, to protect the pan. Allow the kids to arrange the clear beads in fun designs, or you could just have the little ones pour them into the pans, sort of like Balian did.

Balian, hard at work adding the beads to the cake pans.

'Just a few more here, mommy.'

After the beads are arranged to your child's liking, have them gently pat them in the pan, so they're spread out evenly.

Balian, patting the beads to spread them out...

We started off with two suncatchers, but we were having so much fun, that we decided to do one more circle shape, and then a rectangular shaped suncatcher, using a loaf pan.

Our first two suncatchers, ready to go into the oven!

I asked Balian to go play while I placed the pans into a hot 400 degree oven. Twenty minutes was all it took for the beads to melt and create very pretty swirls and dots of vibrant colors in a clear, thin sheet. The smell of the melting plastic isn't all that great-smelling, so open a window, if you can, and ask the kids to stay out of the kitchen as the plastic melts.

First circle out of the oven... see how pretty this is?

Pair of round suncatchers...

Rectangular suncatcher...

To remove the suncatchers from the pans, let them cool completely, and then turn them over and gently shake the suncatchers loose. They should come right out, and if they don't, you need to let them cool a bit more and then try again.

The first two suncatchers came out quite thick, as Balian used a lot of beads!

Balian loved being able to hold all of the melted beads!

Very proud of his creation!

When you hold the suncatchers up to the light, they truly do look beautiful! Find a natural space or pocket in the suncatcher to run a string through to hang it with. You can hang it in the window, using a suction hook, or hang it from your porch. You can even string several together to make a unique design- this works best if they are in different sizes.

Very pretty when they catch the light!

We can't wait to make more of these! I would love to do this project while we're at the beach this year. It seems like a neat project that Balian could do with his cousins, who are older than his is, but would still think this was pretty neat!

Be sure to tune in next week for a new project! 

Betcha can't wait to see what we try next!