Inside: Fused Bead Rainbow Suncatchers are a vibrant fine-motor craft, perfect for teaching preschoolers colors and celebrating spring!
Winter can be so grey and dreary! Brighten up your home with vibrant Rainbow Suncatchers. This colorful fine-motor craft is perfect for teaching preschoolers colors.
RELATED: Rainbow Paper Craft for Kids
Fused Bead Rainbow Suncatchers
We love to make colorful suncatchers for different seasons and holidays. This Fused Bead Rainbow Suncatcher is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and spring!
To Make This Craft You Will Need
- rainbow chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
- 6 mm faceted plastic beads (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper
- scissors
- fishing line
Directions
Invite your child to string red beads onto a red pipe cleaner. Continue with every color, using 1 chenille stem/color.
When the beading is complete, bend all of the chenille stems into an arc. Arrange the chenille stems as a rainbow on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Make sure the chenille stems are as close together as possible and that the beads touch in several locations.
Using the scissors, trim the tips of the pipe cleaners so the rainbow has an even edge.
Place the cookie sheet into a cold oven and set to bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes at 350º, you will notice that the beads have melted and fused together. Turn the oven off and allow the cookie sheet to cool completely inside of the oven.
NOTE: When the beads are melting, they do emit fumes (they are not overpowering fumes). Crack a window and run the oven fan for fresh air.
Tie a loop of fishing line through the top of the arc and hang in a sunny window.
Bright and cheery, I love to see these Rainbow Suncatchers hanging in my kitchen window!
Aren’t they gorgeous? Rainbows make me smile!
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More Rainbow Crafts for Kids
Click the image below to view another pretty rainbow craft for kids.
Elizabeth says
Oooo, I LOVE this one!! IF I didn’t have a sick kiddo, at home today, we would be off to the craft store for supplies 🙂
firefliesandmudpies says
This was a great craft! I’ve had sick kiddos this week too 🙁 Hope your little ones are feeling better soon!
Debbie @ http://kidsbibledebjackson.blogspot.com/ says
Cute idea! Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!
Jackie Higgins says
That is so cool. I had no idea you could fuse beads together like that in the oven. I love the rainbows but it could be fun for other holiday decor as well!
firefliesandmudpies says
Yes – I can’t wait to come up with other designs! We are going to try to make Easter Eggs with them tomorrow!
Ashley says
These are beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!
samantrha says
i like thee idea
tina tiopan says
This was perfect for my son. We did this for our weather unit.
maryanne @ mama smiles says
This is very pretty!
Fireflies and Mud Pies says
Thank you, Maryanne!
SARA says
what size beads do you get? it seems my chenille stems would be too big to slip through the hole. thanks! or do you use thinner stems?
Fireflies and Mud Pies says
I used regular chenille stems and 6 mm beads.
Amanda says
I love this! Thank you for the idea. Do you think it’d work to use an iron instead of the oven? Thanks!
Shannon says
that came out gorgeous! Thanks for letting me share 🙂
Heather says
Is there a specific reason we need to leave this cool completely in the oven? I’m wanting to try this with the 3 girls I watch, but having each one cool completely in the oven will take forever. Can I not sit it out and let it cool?
Melissa Lennig says
Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. I prefer to cool them in the oven just because they are tempting to touch and I didn’t want little fingers to get burned.