Introduction: How to Make a Crystal Rain Cloud Sun Catcher

About: My artistic life keeps growing and evolving and I love being a part of it as it does. I went from painting little pictures for my son's nursery to mixed media artist with a craft tutorial blog, artsykarma.com.…

Check out this cute and whimsical crystal rain cloud - perfect for celebrating spring.

Not only is it fun to look at, but it’s also fun to make. You‘ll use some favorite supplies and materials, such as alcohol inks, shrink-plastic sheets, beads, and crystals.

You can create this in a day - a rainy day, perhaps? —and display it proudly in a window or in your backyard as part of your spring garden decor.

Supplies

The materials:


Step 1: Ink the Shrink Film

Using a piece of felt, dab blue colors - and pink highlights - of alcohol ink onto a full sheet of shrink film paper.

I kept the film intact without cutting the shape while adding the ink.

Fill the entire film.

I also used an alcohol ink blending solution. Rubbing alcohol probably works just as well.

Step 2: Cut the Shrink Film

Cut out a cloud shape.

Step 3: Punch Holes

Punch holes at the bottom for your strings of raindrops. Also, make sure you punch a hole at the top for hanging.

Step 4: Shrink the Film

Stick your cloud in your oven - or however you choose to shrink it. Leave it in the oven for however long the instructions on your shrink film say.

It shrinks to about a quarter of the original size, so choose your raindrop crystals accordingly.

Step 5: Use Beading Wire

Insert some beading wire through one of your bottom cloud holes and twist to the front of the wire

Step 6: Add Seed Beads and Crystal Drops

String the seed beads all the way to the cloud. String them to the length you want them to hang.

Add the crystal to the end.

I went through the hole in the crystal and twisted the wire around many times between the crystal and the seed bead touching it.

Step 7: Add a Hanger

Tie some translucent fishing wire to a metal hoop and tie the other side to the top of your raincloud.

Step 8: Hang Up!