Sun catchers made with cello paper and full sheet sticker

I’m teaching a class right now where we’re making candles, luminaria, and sun catchers. It’s February in the Chicago area and we need all the light and color we can get.

In this post and the next, I’ll share pictures and links to instructions on how to make these projects.

They’re not messy, easy to gather the materials, and don’t take long, or can take as long as you want. You could do this with your kids, with a group of friends, or on your own. The goal is to give yourself permission to create and make something!

Invite creativity into your life and have some fun! Any creative activity is valuable, especially as you nurture it into your life, or back into your life.

This first project comes to us from Blick, the art supply store, which has lesson plans for teachers and others that are a great source of inspiration and instruction.

The materials for this project are simple, but you may find it easier to order them online than to track them down.

You’ll need scissors, cello-paper, the colorful, transparent plastic sheets and full-sheet sticker paper. Blick actually suggests a different sticky project, but I went with sticker paper because it cost less and was easier to find.

You can order everything for this project from either Blick or amazon, or shop locally and visit an art supply (or maybe teacher supply?) store and an office supply store.

Sun catchers

First, cut the cello paper into shapes. You can make random shapes, build up a picture, whatever, it all works.

Once you have a nice pile of shapes cut out, remove the backing from the sticker paper and apply the shapes! Use clear cello-paper to cover a spot that you want to leave clear.

That’s it! It’s fun!

Sun catchers

Optional: you can do a clear coat when you’re all done, to glue down any lose bits that overlap each other and aren’t touching the sticker paper. Use Mod-podge and a foam brush. (Or, use a glue stick that dries clear and dap it here and there as needed.)

Of the group of teens who made the ones shown here, one teen did the clear coat and the others didn’t. The clear coat gives the piece a more “overall, one piece,” look, but it’s not absolutely required.

Sun catchers made with cello paper and full sheet sticker paper

Want more detailed instructions? Here’s the link to the Blick lesson plan:
http://cdn.dick-blick.com/lessonplans/veils-of-light-and-color/veils-of-light-and-color-veils.pdf