DIY: Heart Light Catcher | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Heart Light Catcher

Artistic Adventures

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Children love this colourful craft activity that transforms sunlight into a rainbow of colours! Create beautiful hearts using transparent plastic sheets and markers, then stick them on windows to transform sunlight into vibrant patterns. This DIY light catcher helps children understand how light passes through different coloured objects to create beautiful chromatic effects.

Materials Needed

Printable templat
Transparent plastic sheet
Markers
Black paint
Scissors
White PVA glue

Arranged on a light wood-grain surface are various craft supplies. These include a piece of paper with two printed outlines of faceted, heart-shaped gems, a clear plastic sheet with a small amount of white material inside (possibly glue or glitter), a pair of blue-handled scissors, a white bottle of glue, three markers with purple, red, and light blue caps, and a small tube of adhesive.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Mix black paint into the PVA glue and shake well to combine.

Against a light wood-grain background, two hands are depicted adding adhesive to a larger container. One hand holds a white plastic bottle at an angle, while the other hand squeezes a small, silver tube of glue or adhesive into the bottle's opening. The fingernails on the hand holding the tube have decorative nail art.

Step 2

Take the plastic sheet and place it over the printable template. Squeeze the mixed glue onto the plastic sheet, following the template pattern.

A hand holding a squeeze bottle with a blue tip is applying thick, black glue or paint to a printed design on a piece of white paper placed on a clear plastic sheet. The design is a heart shape with geometric facets resembling a gem. The glue or paint is being applied along the lines of the design, creating a raised, outlined effect. The background is a light wood-grain surface.

Step 3

Wait patiently for the glue to dry.

A raised, black outline of a faceted heart gem, created with glue or paint, sits on a white piece of paper atop a clear plastic sheet. The black material follows the lines of a pre-printed design, giving it a three-dimensional appearance. The background is a light wood-grain surface.

Step 4

Once the glue has dried, cut around the edges of the plastic sheet.

Two hands are shown cutting a dried, raised outline of a faceted heart gem from a clear plastic sheet. The outline, made of black glue or paint, is being carefully trimmed with blue-handled scissors. The background is a light wood-grain surface.

Step 5

Use markers to colour the empty spaces within the heart with your favourite colours.

On a light wood-grain surface, two hands are shown coloring a heart-shaped, faceted gem craft. The gem, outlined with black glue or paint, is being filled in with vibrant marker colors within each facet. The colors used include purple, pink, orange, green, light blue, and red, creating a stained-glass effect. One hand holds the gem while the other applies red marker to a lower facet.

Step 6

Your heart light catcher is now complete. Take it outside in sunlight or hold it under a lamp to observe how different light sources create varying effects!

A close-up of a hand holding a heart-shaped faux stained glass piece. The heart is made up of different geometric shapes in bright colors such as yellow, pink, blue, and beige, all outlined in black. The camera focuses on the details of the colors and textures inside the heart as the hand slightly adjusts its position. The background is a textured, light gray surface, most likely a wall or floor.

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