Sun-catcher With Tissue Paper and Laser-cut Frame

This is how I made a sun-catcher from tissue paper and laser-cut wood.

I apologize for the sub-par photos.  I was rushing to finish it for Christmas and the pictures were sort of an afterthought.  ^_^;

Step 1: Materials and Supplies

You will need:

- Two mirror-image wood frames, laser cut with your pattern.  There are numerous laser cutting services online; I used outfab.com.  Your pattern should not have detail as fine as the clouds, leaves, and waves on mine unless you want to punish yourself.
- Tissue paper in assorted colours
- Mod Podge (or other white craft glue)
- Very sharp craft knife
- Tiny yet stiff brush
- Strong adhesive, such as liquid nails, liquid cement, or superglue gel
- Drill, unless you included your hanging-hole in your laser-cut design

Step 2: The Process

Apply your tissue paper to either the back of the front piece, or the front of the back piece (either way, it will be sandwiched between them).

Using your brush, apply glue around the perimeter of a section of your design that you want to be one solid colour.  Tear a piece of tissue paper bigger than that section, and apply it to the glue.  While it's drying, repeat with other sections that are not adjacent to it or to each other.

When the glue is fully dry, CAREFULLY trace around the section with your craft knife to remove the extra tissue paper.  It helps to stay towards the outside of the wood line.  Repeat for the other sections.

When you are working on a section adjacent to a section you've completed, if your knife slips, it will tear the tissue paper and you'll have to redo that section.  You can avoid this by not making your lines as stupidly thin as I did.  For reference, the outline of the flower was wide enough to give me no trouble at all.  Everything else, I had to redo multiple times.  Of course, lines within a section that will be the same colour can be as thin as you like.

You can layer multiple colours of tissue paper.  I used two layers of yellow for the outer petals, two yellow and one orange for the inner petals, and multiple blues for the waves.

Step 3: Finish and Drill

When you have finished all the sections to the colour you like, use a strong adhesive to glue your two matching pieces wood frames together.  Since they were laser-cut, they will match perfectly.

If your laser file didn't include a hanger-hole, make one with a drill.

Hang in a window and admire your handiwork!