Watermelon suncatchers are a fun summer craft that kids can make with adults. This suncatcher is made from paper plates, paint and melted crayons!
Watermelon suncatchers
Gather up your old red crayons, because you’ll need quite a few to create the stained glass effect for these watermelon suncatchers. The bark is made from empty paper plates and paint. Here, I chose small paper plates, but you can use any size you have available and adjust the measurements.
We did something similar with glue, check out this cute Suncatchers!
If you’re all about watermelon right now, be sure to check out this fun and easy one Slice watermelon and bake cookies! And if you get too many crayons, here they are A roundup of 20 crayon crafts.
Here’s what you need to do to make watermelon suncatchers
How to make watermelon suncatchers
- To prepare the watermelon rind, fold a paper plate in half and cut a semicircle around the edge. Cut the sponge in half.
- Use a sponge to paint the paper plate light green. Let the entire plate, front and back (if you want to see the sun catcher from both sides), dry completely on each side. Use the other half of the sponge to put dark green stripes on the plate. Allow to dry completely.
- To prepare the red center, peel your red crayons. Make crayon shavings using a pencil sharpener, crayon sharpener, or by finely chopping the crayons with a sharp knife. (This step is reserved for adults.)
- For each watermelon slice, cut a piece of wax paper 8 inches by 8 inches, or one inch larger than the diameter of the paper plate you’re using. Fold the wax paper in half and unfold.
- Place wax paper on a large piece of parchment paper, at least twice the size of the wax paper. Sprinkle red crayon shavings on one half of the wax paper, all the way to the fold line, leaving a one-inch border around the edge.
- Spread the shavings thinly for a more translucent look and more densely for a more opaque look. Fold the wax paper to cover the shavings. Place another large piece of parchment paper on top. Heat the iron to low heat without steam. Hold the parchment paper and smooth with the iron to melt the crayons. (This is also an adult-only activity.)
- Make sure the crayon wax has melted all the way to the paper fold.
Note: The crayon will most likely come off the wax paper quite a bit, so it is very important to use two large pieces of parchment paper to protect your iron and your work surface! Allow the crayons and wax paper to dry completely for about 15 minutes.
- To assemble the sun catcher, place a melted crayon sheet on a folded paper plate. Use a pencil to trace where to cut the crayon sheet. (A pencil will work surprisingly well here.) Take the slice out, cut along the pencil line, reinsert into the paper plate and secure with a staple. You will only need one main thing.
- To finish, punch a hole in the top and thread some ribbon or string. Use a black paint marker to draw the seeds. Hang in the window on a sunny day!
And for the 4th and Memorial Day, this Star suncatchers Super fun, then you can head into autumn with us Fall suncatchers.
While these watermelon sun catchers are the perfect summer activity, you can use this melted crayon stained glass idea all year round. Use different colors and cut out any shape you like.
More paper plate crafts
Watermelon suncatchers
While these watermelon sun catchers are the perfect summer activity, you can use this melted crayon stained glass idea all year round.
supplies
- White paper plates 7-inch circular plates are used here
- Craft paint in two shades of green
- sponge
- old Red crayons (2 to 3 per watermelon slice)
- wax paper
- Parchment paper
- Iron
- Scissors
- pencil
- Stapler
- hole punch
- string or ribbon
- Black paint marker
Instructions
-
To prepare the watermelon rind, fold a paper plate in half and cut a semicircle around the edge. Cut the sponge in half. Use a sponge to paint the paper plate light green. Let the entire plate, front and back (if you want to see the sun catcher from both sides), dry completely on each side. Use the other half of the sponge to put dark green stripes on the plate. Allow to dry completely.
-
To prepare the red center, peel your red crayons. Make crayon shavings using a pencil sharpener, crayon sharpener, or by finely chopping the crayons with a sharp knife. (This step is reserved for adults.)
-
For each watermelon slice, cut a piece of wax paper 8-inches by 8-inches, or one inch larger than the diameter of the paper plate you are using. Fold the wax paper in half and unfold. Place wax paper on a large piece of parchment paper, at least twice the size of the wax paper. Sprinkle red crayon shavings on one half of the wax paper, all the way to the fold line, leaving a one-inch border around the edge. Spread the shavings thinly for a more translucent look and more densely for a more opaque look.
-
Fold the wax paper to cover the shavings. Place another large piece of parchment paper on top. Heat the iron to low heat without steam. Hold the parchment paper and smooth with the iron to melt the crayons. (This is also an adults-only task.) Make sure the crayon has melted all the way down to the folds of the wax paper. Note: The crayon will most likely stick out of the wax paper a bit, so it is very important to use two large pieces of parchment paper to protect your iron and your work surface! Allow the crayons and wax paper to dry completely for about 15 minutes.
-
To assemble the sun catcher, place a melted crayon sheet on a folded paper plate. Use a pencil to trace where to cut the crayon sheet. (A pencil will work surprisingly well here.) Take the slice out, cut along the pencil line, reinsert into the paper plate and secure with a staple. You will only need one main thing.
-
To finish, punch a hole in the top and thread some ribbon or string. Use a black paint marker to draw the seeds. Hang in the window on a sunny day!
This post originally appeared here on July 30, 2018.
Meghan Mountford was a professional cookie decorator for nearly a decade before starting The Decorated Cookie in 2008, a blog about decorated cookies, painted marshmallows, and other crafty desserts. She is the author of two cookbooks, Cookie Sensations and Sugarlicious: 50 Cute and Clever Treats for Every Occasion.
