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.