Color Catcher

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Would you like to know how to color light? This project incorporates natural light, color, geometry, and architecture elements for a version of a stained glass window that will make sunlight dance!

INSTRUCTIONS

• Fold your cardstock paper in half.
  • The example is folded in half horizontally, but feel free to mix things up.
• When you have folded your paper, use a ruler to sketch an arch, point, or angle across the non-folded side(s).
• Cut along the lines.
• Draw a border line approximately ½ inch from the cut edges.
• With it still folded, draw your desired pattern[s] on your paper, making double lines either ¼ to ½ inch apart.
  • Look up stained glass windows for inspiration.
  • Keep in mind that straight lines will be easier to cut.
  • For best results, mix large and small versions of similar shapes.
• Color your lines in with a black marker.
• With either the tip of your pencil, or the point of your scissors, carefully poke a hole inside the shapes you have drawn.
  • Make sure to poke through both halves of the paper.
• Use scissors to cut the shapes out of both sides of the folded paper at once.
• Unfold the paper to reveal your stained glass borders!
  • Do the shapes look like you had imagined while the paper was still folded?
• Use a black marker to fully color the borders you have just created.
• With your scissors, separate the two sides of a gallon freezer bag. Recycle the side that has any writing on it.
• Flip the black borders over and put glue stick all along the back.
• Affix the borders to the remaining half of freezer bag. Press firmly.
• Flip everything over and place on a piece of printer paper so you can clearly see the next steps.
• Use colored permanent markers to fill in each of the shapes.
  • Color slightly past the borders for a more “full” color look.
  • Try going over your marker layers a couple of times.
  • Notice the way the markers behave on the plastic. Can you play with this effect at all?
• Allow marker to dry.
• With scissors, trim the plastic from the outer border of your creation.
• Use small loops of tape to affix the stained glass to one of your windows.
  • How does this new “window within a window” affect your view?
  • Does the new colored light change your visual perspective?

RELATED RESOURCES

• Find inspiration in 7 of the World’s most Beautiful Stained Glass Windows and find out How Stained Glass is Made!