Pony Bead Sun and Wind Catchers

Pony Bead Sun Catchers were so much fun to make!  It was a nice after project with pretty fast results.  Something both Bear and I liked! (feel free to "Pin" me!)

For this project you need:

• one bag of plastic pony style beads.
• scissors
  
• oven
  
• goggles


• drill and very small bit (really helpful)


• Foil pan


• Fishing line

We placed the beads in a thin layer in the foil pans and placed them in the oven at 400 degrees. Removing them after a short time (about 20 minutes). One thing to make note of is that not all plastic beads are created equal when it comes to melting properties.

After the beads "baked" for approximately 20 minutes I let them cool and then took a drill bit (a very small one) and drilled a hole in the "sun catcher", threaded through the fishing line and then we hung them outside, to swing and sway in the breeze. Be sure to wear goggles when working with power tools. 

 

 

The special beads I got for Fourth of July sun catchers didn't melt as well as the bigger rounder beads.  I bought the beads used in our project at Joann's, but any craft or discount store should carry them.   I used my 40% off coupon to buy the beads at Joann's. Keep the discounts in mind while shopping for crafts to do with kiddos. 

 

I think they would make great "medals" for kids if you did them in solid colors and used a cupcake pan and ribbon to hang them around the children's necks rather than the fishing line we used for sun catchers.

 

The beads go a lot further than one might think. I see a wonderful gift in the making for Aunts and Grandma's. You could even attach magnets to the backs of small ones and have magnets. I think next I will experiment with Bear and doing different shapes, attempting to make little soap dishes and the like. 

 
 

 

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Raising Reagan