It has most definitely been a long time since I've blogged. I'm touched, and sometimes floored, by the number of friends, readers, and total strangers who often drop me a line to tell me how much they miss reading regular posts from me. Yes, that kind of stuff means a lot to me.
Yes, I did return to work in September and life has been more than harried and stressed since then. There's a lot to say regarding that, but I think I will save that for a separate post. For now, it's the holidays and I've missed blogging so much that I couldn't stand NOT to post a few holiday craft ideas.
I have done this stained glass paper art activity with several of my classes, and tried it at home with my 3 Things this year. It's fun, easy, and looks fabulous on dreary, cold windows this time of year.
What you will need:
Crayons
(they must be wax)
Small dish of vegetable oil
Cotton balls or cotton pads
8 1/2 by 11 plain white paper
The first step is to draw your picture or design (with the crayons) on your paper. Whatever your design is, you need to make sure that there are no white parts of the paper left visible - it should be completely covered in colour.
Coloured stripes or designs in the background work very well, and show up much better when you hang these in your window. It is best if you outline the coloured areas with a dark black crayon, creating borders and edging for the picture.
When your picture is entirely coloured, you are going to dip your cotton ball or cotton pad into the vegetable oil.
Rub the oil over your picture, until the entire paper is saturated with the oil.
When you are finished, you will have a glossy sheen all over your paper. Hang the oily paper to dry for a good 12 hours.
Last step is to hang the pictures in a window that gets lots of light.
You'll notice the oil has created a "see through" effect, making your coloured paper look like real stained glass!
These decorations are sure to add a festive, colourful, holiday touch to any classroom or home window!
