An Easy Easter Decoration- Paper Stained Glass

I wanted to create a decoration that looked nice and was actually a decoration, but was also something that the kids could help me put together. 

I think I found something that fit the bill. 

Supplies: 

- two cookie sheets 

- a bath towel

- an oven mitt

-a black, dark blue, or purple crayon (big 'toddler' size or relatively unbroken regular size. Don't use a short stub, or you'll get burned fingers)

- white paper with a design pre-drawn in pencil -or- a simple picture from a coloring book (small details don't translate well in this project, so choose a simple design)

-Watercolors

-Brushes

-Vegetable oil 

Start by turning on your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and placing two upside down cookie sheets in it to heat up. Put a towel down on the table to protect it, and make sure you have an oven mitt or two nearby. 

When the cookie sheet has had time to heat up (about 15 min or so), take it out, place it on the table, put your paper on top of it, and then use a black crayon to trace a simple design. Whatever hand you're not using to draw should be in the oven mitt on your paper to steady it. 

I actually pre-drew the designs I wanted to make with a pencil, then used a black crayon to trace them (I staged this photo, because it didn't occur to me until halfway through the project that I should document it). The heat from the cookie sheet should melt the crayon slightly and result in a smooth, solid line that glides onto the paper. If you aren't getting that, the sheet isn't quite hot enough. As the cookie sheet cools, or one kid finishes drawing and another is ready to start, you can swap out one cookie sheet for the fresh one in the oven. 

Older kids (age 7 and up...slightly younger if they're doing an abstract free hand design instead of tracing) ought to be able to handle this part just fine. Toddlers should wait until the painting stage though. 

The end result should look something like this. 

Now you're ready to paint! 

Set out the water colors and let your kids go nuts (or go nuts yourself). The black crayon works as a resist and helps keep the paint in its intended section, making the end result look more polished and like stained glass. 

Once your design has dried, you can use a brush to apply a small amount of veggie oil to the back to make the paper more translucent (I opted to put oil only on the colored part, and leave the edges without-- this enhances the illusion and makes it much easier to stick it on the window later). 

Be stingy with the oil. Less is more, and you don't want to end up with a big greasy mess. Wipe the excess off the brush onto the edge of whatever container you're using, and keep in mind that it takes a second to soak in and become evident. You can also wipe down the back (not the front... it smears the excess wax a bit. Found that out the interesting way) with a piece of paper towel to get excess oil off. 

Hang the finished result in the window with poster putty or tape, and enjoy!