Capture images of nature and let the sunshine in!

Hands-on time: 2 hours.
Total time: Project involves 16 hours of drying time over a two-day period.
Skill: Moderate.
Cost estimate: Cost of materials to do the six pieces in this project was $25.00 (this does not include the glass-cutter tool, which is optional). Average cost is about $4.00 per sun catcher.

Materials & Tools

• Glass pieces - either clear, frosted or with other textures in assorted sizes and shapes (made-to-measure sizes and shapes are available at glass specialty stores, precut sizes are available at some craft or art-supply stores, or you can use glass pieces from frames that you are not using)
• Glass cleaner and lint-free cloth
• Painter's tape
• Scissors
• Copper foil tape (available at glass specialty stores and some arts and craft stores)
• Bone folder, letter opener or brunt side of knife
• Assorted images from magazines, greeting cards or computer print outs (image size needed depends on the size of the glass pieces you will be using)
• Transfer medium, Decal-It by Plaid or Liquid Polymer by Liquitex
• A flat nylon paintbrush
• Ruler
• Small fold-back clips - try to find the smallest size available which is 14mm (office supply stores or framing stores)
• Copper paint for metal, in spray or paint format (optional)
• Clear nylon thread
• Suction-cup hooks for windows

Here's a clever idea to illuminate your windows, especially those without curtain treatments. Let the sunshine in to transform your favourite pictures into captivating sun catchers. The images you choose become translucent when you use the transfer medium and catch the light beautifully.

Clean the glass pieces thoroughly to remove smudges or dirt, then wipe dry and set aside.

Cut the print images of your choice to fit the size of your glass pieces. Tape the selected images face up, to a clean work surface. Apply six coats of Decal-It or Liquid Polymer in alternating directions (apply one coat horizontally, then the next coat vertically, and repeat). Allow each coat to dry for 15 minutes or until clear. After all coats have been applied, let the images dry for eight hours, or overnight.

In a sink or plastic container soak the images for 30 to 45 minutes in warm water. Remove from water and place the images face down on a work surface. Remove the paper from the back of the print by carefully rubbing it off with your fingers until all the paper is removed and the transferred image is translucent. Avoid stretching or tearing the image by not rubbing the image too hard. Once dry, cut or trim your image as needed.

Center and apply the copper tape all around the edges of the glass pieces, overlapping the ends. Using the side of a bone folder or letter opener, rub over the outer edges of the glass to secure the copper tape in place. Then fold the edges of the tape onto both sides of the glass using your fingers and press them down flat. Again using the folder, working with the glass pieces flat on your work area, go over the borders on each side to flatten the tape and to give the sun catcher borders a clean look.

Apply a little Decal-it to the face of the image, and then position and apply it face up to the back of the glass. Smooth out the air bubbles with your fingers, wipe the edge of the glass piece with a damp cloth and then let dry.

Paint the paper clips with metal copper paint and let dry for two hours. You can do this while the images of this project are drying. Clip on the fold back clips to the top of the glass pieces and remove the fold back part of the clips by squeezing them together. They are simple to remove and makes for a neater finish.

Cut nylon thread to desired lengths, loop it through the clip, secure it with knots and make a loop at the top of the thread. Hang your newly created sun catcher on a plastic suction-cup hook that you have applied to the window and let the sunshine in.

Tips

• You can also cut glass pieces in a specific size using a glass cutter. It is worth the investment; there are so many other projects you can use them for: stained glass, glass mosaics and so on. A good glass cutter can start at $35.00. You can also get a cheaper glass cutter for about $10.00 at a hardware store, but they're not made to last. You can also darken the colour of the copper tape using black glass-paint markers.
• Check out The Glass Place for everything you need and more for all your glass projects, from glass cutters, assorted glass and stained pieces, products and tools, to pattern books, a wide variety of glass beads and a thousand more related products.

Variations

• You can also do this project using family summer vacation pictures.
• A great idea for children's bedrooms is using story book characters or, for teens' rooms, using images of their favourite star, their friends, or CD covers.
• You can also embellish your glass montages by adding hand-painted designs or a frost effect with glass paints.