Do you love collecting fall leaves? Me too! And… I love bugs! And bugs love the leaves! So here is a fun way to to use some of those leaves to make a seasonal sun catcher. (for you, not bugs…) Make sure you leave plenty of leaves on the ground for the real bugs, but there is no harm in collecting some for crafts too. You can download and print out the template below or draw your own if you prefer. You will need something clear to stick the leaves to, you can either use some recycled plastic from a food container (something like those big containers of spinach or lettuce) which we love because you are re-using something that would otherwise be discarded, or if it’s easier you can use a little clear contact paper.
materials:
- fallen leaves (you want to flatten them under a heavy book if they are curly)
- sun catcher template (below, or draw your own)
- scissors
- exacto knife
- clear plastic from a food container and mod podge OR contact paper
- foam brush (only if you use mod podge)
- clear tape
method:
Cut out the bug around the oval boarder. You can also cut out just the bug without the oval around it if you prefer but it’s more work to cut out that way and better for older friends.
Carefully, with an exacto knife and adult help or supervision, cut out the wing space where the leaves will shine through. Pop out those pieces. tip: if there are some places where you didn’t cut quite on the line, you can go over the edge with a black marker to hide them.
Lay our your leaves in a nice pattern that covers all of the wings space and doesn’t overlap too much. You can put the bug cut out on top a few times to check the placement. Once you are ready either:
- Brush mod podge over the plastic and press the leaves down onto it. Brush another coat of mod podge on top. Let dry completely. (For a few hours) OR
- Stick the leaves onto the sticky side of the contact paper. You can put another piece on top if desired for a smooth surface.
Now use clear tape to stick the prepared leaves onto the back of the cut out bug template.
Hang in a sunny window and enjoy!
Templates:
