Blogger / 14 August, 2019 / Nanny Anita

Melted Bead Sun Catchers

I don’t think that there has been a single past summer when we have not made some sort of sun catcher. This year we have been making melted bead sun catchers.

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To make your own melted bead sun catchers you will need:

• Transparent pony beads
• Acrylic faceted rounded beads
• Silicone moulds *
• Sharpe pointed screwdriver or metal kebab stick
• Thread

* If you don’t have any circular silicone moulds you can use a cookie cutter on a baking tray covered in parchment paper. I do recommend using old cookie cutters just in case they get stuck.

Start by preheating your oven to 210?c.

While that is heating up fill the bottom of your moulds or cookie cutter with beads. You will only need one layer of beads per sun catcher. If you are using pony beads it is better to use the transparent rather than opaque ones. We used beads that are UV colour changing ones.

When your oven is ready place the baking tray in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Keep checking on them to make sure that they are melting. If they are not quite ready at 20 minutes, then keep them in for an extra 5 minutes. Do note that if you are using the acrylic type beads they won’t completely melt, but will instead fuse together.

Please be aware that when you open the oven you will get a smell of melted plastic.  Please make sure you have your windows open or extracter fan on to help the room well ventilated.

When the beads have melted sufficiently take them out the oven and leave them to completely cool.

If you are using a silicone mold the now melted bead sun catcher should just pop out. The cookie cutters should just slide off. If not, try putting them in the fridge for a moment.

To make a small hole in the cookie cutter I heated a small pointed screwdriver with a flame and poked it through the melted bead sun catcher. You may have to reheat the point of the screwdriver a couple of times.

Finally thread so string through the hole to hang it up with.

These melted bead sun catchers don’t take long to make but they look absolutely amazing. BB has his Mickey Mouse one hanging on his bedroom window and always asks to open the curtains to see it when he wakes up.

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If you liked these melted bead sun catchers be sure to check out my glue sun catchers, Mary Poppins inspired sun catchers, and my wax paper sun catchers.

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