Fun Melted Bead Cross Suncatcher
Today we have a fun and simple craft suggestion. It’s a neat melted bead idea for your child: cross themed suncatchers!
Pony beads are a lot of fun to work with because they’re bright and colorful, but also sturdy. These beads are the ideal size for your child to learn techniques like stringing and beading. But there’s more you can do with pony beads such as making a cross suncatcher, which is one of many melted bead ideas. Suncatchers are so attractive, for young crafters and older ones too, because of the way they let the sun shine through when hung in a window.
If this is a homeschool project and you have several students, you can have each child choose a color and create their own melted bead cross. This melted bead idea is terrific as an Easter project, but could also work as part of a Sunday school craft or during VBS.
Note: Please be aware that the beads do release plastic smells/fumes as they melt. To avoid the smell, you can use a toaster oven outside.
Items Needed for this Melted Bead Idea
Items needed for cross suncatcher melted bead idea
- Plastic pony beads
- Metal cookie or clay cutters
- Baking pan
- Aluminum foil
- Drill fitted with ⅛ inch drill bit
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees to begin your cross suncatcher melted bead idea.
Step 2: Line a baking pan with aluminum foil to protect the pan. This will also make it easier for the cross suncatcher ornaments to release from the pan after you have baked them.
Step 3: Place cookie cutters on the aluminum foil in the baking pan. Fill each cookie cutter with a single layer of beads. Your student can choose the color or colors. You will want to use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to arrange the beads.
Step 4: Carefully put the baking sheet in the oven and melt the beads. The time can vary based on the type of bead. Begin checking after 5 minutes. (My ornaments took 15 minutes to melt.) The ornaments are ready when the beads are melted and the hole in each bead has disappeared.
Step 5: Remove the tray from the oven. Allow your pretty melted bead suncatcher to cool completely prior to removing them from the cookie cutters. To remove the cross suncatcher, gently pull the sides of the cookie cutter away from the ornament.
Step 6: Use the drill to create a small hole at the top of each cross melted bead suncatcher for hanging.
Step 7: Thread some floss or string through the hole so you can hang it in the window and let the sun shine through.
Other Activities
If this cross suncatcher melted bead idea is a craft you do for Easter, you could also try some of these activities to go along with it.
Teach your children about various Easter traditions around the world. Talk about ways they are similar to your own Easter celebrations, and how they are different.
For your little Lego enthusiasts, check out this neat empty tomb Lego activity. If your family celebrates Easter, this is a creative hands-on activity to accompany the above melted bead idea of a cross suncatcher.
If your students enjoy trivia games, you’ll appreciate this printable Easter Story Trivia Game along with instructions.
Jump into these fun science experiments and STEM learning activities, and here are a few more faith-based Easter craft ideas.
Why do some things reflect the sunshine while other things allow some sunlight to shine through? For an extra dive into science, study Our Sun and the Reason for Seasons.
Last but not least, you definitely want to try these gorgeous stained glass Easter cookies!
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