DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Nature Collage Suncatcher Craft
I'm excited to share this simple yet engaging DIY Nature Collage Suncatcher craft with you, perfect for kids who want to learn about and appreciate the natural world around them. Using just a few basic materials like cardboard, a black marker, packing tape, and an assortment of natural materials, we created a stunning suncatcher that brightened up the living room. This craft is ideal for anyone looking for a creative activity to enjoy on their own or with family. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create your very own nature collage suncatcher!
Materials:
- cardboard square the size of a piece of printer paper
- black marker
- cardboard cutter
- packing tape
- pieces of natural material (leaves, flowers, bark, small twigs, etc)
- optional: acrylic paint
Instructions:
Use a ruler to draw a square about two inches in from the edge of the cardboard about the size of a piece of computer paper.- I just used the width of the ruler rather than measuring in 2 inches
- Draw a rectangle trunk from one edge of the square.
- Scribble out any lines you won't be cutting (like where the trunk meets the square.
Have an adult use a box cutter and a ruler to cut along the solid, not scribbled, out lines.- You'll likely have to flip it over and use the faint scored line and your ruler to box cut from the other side as well.
- Carefully wiggle the cut out piece out of your cardboard to create your nature collage suncatcher's frame.
Optional. Paint the frame whatever color you like.- I painted the trunk brown too because I foolishly made the trunk where the upc code was! Otherwise, you could just leave the trunk the cardboard color.
Use packing tape to completely cover the unpainted side of the frame. This will leave the sticky side exposed on the painted side of the frame, which we're going to use to create our collage!
Using fresh or pressed leaves and flowers, push them onto the sticky side of the tape to create a nice nature collage.- We used fresh leaves for our craft. We made it in spring when I was pinching off pieces of my bedding plants to encourage healthy, bushy growth.
- The plant material we used was green tomato leaves and yellow cucumber flowers.
- Prop up in the window and enjoy your nature collage suncatcher!
Printable version of these instructions