Suncatcher Ornaments from Plastic Lids

We have A LOT of plastic lids. We have been collecting them for all kinds of projects. (One of the biggest ones is the gigantic murals project we have under construction for our outdoor fence!) Unlike our murals, this project utilizes clear lids. We used 2 types this time around, the ones from baby food containers (rectangular) and some from Crystal Light containers (oval) , but any plastic lid will do!

The whole purpose in this activity is to work on strengthening the muscles in the hand. - So in preparation I filled our glue bottles up and added some liquid watercolor to them. The children helped to decide what colors to make. (After you add a bit of the liquid watercolor to the bottle, shake it up good! You can add a marble to the bottle to help if you need.)

This project is very much process based. Our ornaments are made by filling the lid with glue and then adding gems and sequins. You don't need to add the gems and sequins- the dried colored glue is sufficient-but the children like to add a little bit more of sparkle.

Know that the thickness of the glue makes this a long drying project. However- you can speed it up by adding the ornaments to the food dehydrator on the craft setting of 115 degrees.

If the children add too many sequins to the top, you can always add another layer of glue over the top to seal them in! This is a prime example to illustrate the fact that children need to use too much before they learn to use just enough.

After a couple of hours/days... or a week of drying- you have fabulous suncatchers that can easily be make into ornaments. We drilled small holes in the top, added a bit of ribbon and Voila! Suncatcher Ornaments! The glue dries semi-transparent and the sparkles glisten with the light. They look fabulous on the tree right in front of a light! They are also great any time of year in the window.

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

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My friend died

I learned a hell of a lot from Dan Hodgins. He was mentor, a friend, and a "bone shaker" for many of us in the field of Early Childhood Education. He was and will always be a champion for children, and protector of childhood. I have so many great memories of time spent with him, it just doesn't seem like we had enough time. Dan died this past Saturday. Interestingly enough, Dan and I talked about death quite a bit. It is one of those topics that isn't talked about all that much in our field, but is super important. All living things eat, all living things poop, and all living things die. Dan and I recorded a podcast for awhile called "Shaking Bones." Dan was always shaking bones, even before I met him. To say I was honored to be asked to be his co-host would be putting it lightly. I loved recording with him. He was never afraid to touch on topics that were a bit edgy, or issues that sometimes weren't talked about much at all. We even...

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

DIY Upcycled Translucent Blocks - Child Central Station said…

[…] Empty plastic baby food containers! However, I didn’t just want to use them as is. I know they are fun to build with without doing anything with them, but I wanted to add some color and make a nice set for our light table. So, I gathered my supplies. (If you remember we have used the lids from these containers before to make suncatcher ornaments). […]

January 12, 2015 at 9:36 AM

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