Quick Sun Catchers to Make Yourself

With just a few supplies from a craft store you can make great sun catchers for yourself or to give as gifts. Of course you’ll need assorted beads and you’ll also need a pack of 12″ tinsel sticks. You can use ordinary pipe cleaners instead of tinsel sticks but the tinsel makes the sun catcher glow even brighter.

Clear glass or plastic beads are perfect for this project. You can use other beads as long as they have that sparkle to them. Beads of pewter or turquoise aren’t as suitable. You’ll also need fishing twine or some other type of clear thread.

Form the initial of your first or last name with a tinsel stick. Trim the remaining portion of the stick. Straighten the letter out enough to thread the beads onto the stick. Use hot glue to hold the first and last beads. After the beads are on the tinsel shape it back into the initial shape. Tie a piece of clear string at a central point on the initial. For letters like “A” or “C” just find the top middle. For letters like “H” tie it in the center of the cross line. Hang on a window by using a suction cup.

You can make the initial sun catcher even larger by surrounding the letter with a circle, diamond shape, or triangle. Form the shape you choose with tinsel stick. You may need to twist two or more sticks together, depending upon the size you decide to make. For a circular dream catcher fill one bead half full of glue and barely insert the end of the tinsel stick. Now thread all the other beads onto the stick. When you get to the last bead fill it full of glue and put one end of the tinsel stick into each side of the bead. This will form the circle. Now tie fishing twine to the beaded letter and tie it onto the circle. Place a ribbon bow where the twine meets the circle to hide the thread knot. The initial will dangle in the center of the circle. Tie a second loop to hang the sun catcher onto the suction cup.

To make a diamond or triangle shape, form the shape with the tinsel stick and thread the beads onto it. Leave a small bit of tinsel hanging out of each end bead. Twist the tinsel ends together to hold the shape. Trim very short. Tie the beaded letter on in the area where the tinsel ends are twisted. Also tie on the loop for hanging. Place a bow over the area where the twine is tied to hide it. Hang on suction cups.

Form a cross shape with tinsel sticks and glue together at center. Place a bead right in the center of the cross. Now thread beads onto all four sections. Glue the last bead into place on both sides and on the bottom stick. At the top, thread all the beads except one. Cut a piece of cord for hanging and place the ends of the cord into the last bead. Fill the bead with glue and place it on the very top of the cross. Hang the cross sun catcher as-is or make a circle, diamond, or triangle of beads to surround the cross.

Craft stores are full of small trinkets that can dangle in the center of your sun catcher. Simply form the shape you want with the tinsel sticks, add beads, then tie on the trinket. You’ll have lots of fun making these sun catchers which are simple yet stunning.