Busy Hands (10): Photo Suncatcher (Gift Idea)

For the first time, Little Dude is old enough to understand the concept of a 'gift', so I knew it would be the right time to make something for Father's Day coming up on June 15!

Contact paper is one of my favourite materials, and this Contact Paper Tree we made was a real hit. So, I decided on making something I've been wanting to try out for a while - a suncatcher.

Since it is personalised with a photo, it would make a great hand made gift for any close family member. The photo we used is over a year old, but it was perfect for this gift since it captured both Dad and son!

The best thing is that children of all ages can get involved in making it, and older ones can manage it all on their own.

I used something new to make the design. It's something I thought of doing with the coloured paper we have - make little dots with a hole punch! The paper we used is coloured on one side, but you should ideally use crepe or tissue paper to make this suncatcher.

Here's what you need to make this photo suncatcher:

- Card stock - Contact paper - Ribbon
- Hole punch
- Coloured paper/tissue paper/crepe paper - Crayons or paint - A photo print - A compass (for drawing circles) or different shaped circles for outlining

Here's how we made it:

1. Cut out the card in a circle shape, and make it into a ring/border.
2. Cut two pieces of contact paper in the same size. You can also use square contact paper sheets and then cut out the circle shape when you're done.
3. Have your child colour the card stock with crayons or paint. I only thought of doing this after cutting out the ring, but it would have been easier to colour when the circle was full. Little Dude managed it though! This gives a nice personal touch to the gift.
4. Cut out the photo in a smaller circle.
5. Stick the border on one piece of the contact paper, carefully placing a piece of ribbon behind it so there's something to hang it with.

6. Stick the photo in the middle.
7. Fill the contact paper with the paper dots. You can do this any way you want - either fill the whole space, or just sparsely like we did.
8. When you're happy with the artwork, cover the other piece of contact paper on top.
That's it! I'm sure Dad or Mom will love getting this gift, or maybe Grandma or Grandpa on their birthdays.

(Busy Hands is a series about activities and craft you can do with toddlers and young children).



This post has been linked to: Let Kids Be Kids // Tuesday Tutorials //
Share With Me // Mini Creations // The Weekly Kids Co-Op