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!