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Fall Leaf Suncatcher

  • Art & Art History
  • Grades 4-5
  • Grades 1-3

Colorful pieces of tissue paper and sequins will shine in the sunlight on these Fall Leaf Sun Catchers

Materials

  • Red Fuzzy Sticks
  • Red Glitter 4 oz.
  • Spangle Mix Assorted Colors
  • Mini Suction Cups
  • Tissue Paper
  • Construction Paper (orange)
  • Clear Contact Paper
  • Scissors
  • Hole Punch
  • Craft Glue
  • Pencil
  • Paper Plate
printDownload Template

Instructions

Step 1. Gather your supplies.

Fall Leaf Sun Catcher

 

Fall Kids Craft Sun Catcher

 

Step 2. 

 

Cut (2) 5 x 7 inch pieces of contact paper. Peel the backing off one piece and lay on your work surface with the sticky side up.

Fall Leaf Project

 

Step 3.

 

Place little pieces of tissue paper and Sequins onto the sticky paper.  Tip: There are leaf shaped spangles inside the package.

 

Fall Project

 

Step 4.

 

Peel the backing off the other sheet of contact paper  and place sticky side down onto the sheet you just decorated.  This will create a sandwich sealing the design together.

Fall Leaf Project

 

Step 5.

 

Now you need to create (2) leaf shaped borders for your sun catcher. First, fold a sheet of orange construction paper in half. Then fold in half again.

Make a Leaf Sun Catcher

 

Step 6.

 

Draw half a leaf shape along the edge of the fold. We created a template for this design which you can download by clicking the “template” button under the picture of this project.

Sun Catcher Fall Craft

 

Step 7.

 

Cut out the leaf shape. When you unfold your paper you will have a full leaf “window” in your paper. Open the folded paper and add glue around the leaf all the way to the edges as shown.

Sun Catcher

 

Step 8.

 

Place your contact paper art from Step 4 over the glue side of the paper.

Fall Leaf Sun Catcher Kids Craft

 

Step 9.

 

Add more glue on the leaf shape on the inside of the folded paper and fold it closed.

fall leaf project

 

Step 10.

 

Line glue around the edge of your leaf shape then sprinkle with Red Glitter. Shake excess glitter onto a paper plate.

kids fall leaf sun catcher project

 

Step 11.

 

Fold the paper plate in half to pour the extra glitter back into the jar.

Make a sun catcher with kids

 

Step 12.

 

Cut the construction paper to make a leaf shape, mirroring the shape of the middle leaf.

Make a Fall Leaf Sun catcher

 

Step 13.

 

Punch a hole on top. Thread a piece of red Fuzzy Stick through the hole and create a loop for hanging.  Use a Suction Cup to place the leaf on your window where the sunshine will shine through the contact paper!

 


Teacher's Corner

Shine some light on the history of mosaic art while crafting Autumn leaves for your windows! 

Lesson Objectives

  • Piece By Piece: Did you know that mosaic art dates back to the ancient Romans?! They used materials like glass, shells, marble, and stone to create intricate designs on the floors and walls of community buildings. Although tissue paper is an easier material to work with, your students are practicing a well-preserved art form to create their craft!       
  • Modern Mosaics: Mosaics are still a popular art form today — one of Philadelphia’s most popular attractions is Isaiah Zagar’s Magic Gardens. Take a virtual field trip through the whimsical exhibit — what objects can your students find hidden throughout the gardens?

Follow-up Discussion

What other craft materials can you use to create a mosaic? Once your students hang their suncatcher leaves in a window and watch the videos above, have them think about other supplies they can use. Enjoy a group project by having students create individual mini mosaics to form a larger one as a class!