Colourful CD Sun Catchers

The hooligans and I have a soft spot for homemade garden ornaments. We’ve made dozens of wind chimes and whirligigs over the years and we always create them out of recycled or found materials.

CDs and DVDs are excellent for crafting with—they make particularly excellent sun catchers because of their shiny, reflective surfaces. They’re also nice and light so they really dance and spin in the breeze.

Kids of all ages will enjoy making these CD sun catchers. My toddlers and preschoolers loved the colouring process and made beautiful, vibrant designs, while my teenager and I created more defined patterns like stripes and rainbows on our CDs. 

I also like that this is a great group activity. One child can make a sun catcher alone of course, but if you have a bunch of kids, they can each decorate a CD or two to contribute to the project.

You Will Need:

• old CDs or DVDs
• permanent markers in a variety of colours
• fishing line
• 2 sticks
• yarn

Instructions:

1. Wash your CDs in warm, soapy water. This will remove any dust and residue that might interfere with the marker ink adhering properly. Dry well.

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2. If you’re working on your kitchen table or counter top, you’ll want to protect your work surface with a plastic table cloth or a thick layer of newspaper. Permanant markers are just that—permanent!

3. Have the kids colour both sides of their CDs, making sure that the entire surface of each CD is covered.

4. When all the CDs are coloured, it’s time to hang them up! Thread a length of fishing line through the middle of each CD and knot the ends together tightly.

5. You can hang now hang your CD sun catchers individually from the branches of a tree, or you can fasten two twigs together to make “hanger” and attach all of your CDs to it.

What a colourful display for a patio, deck or balcony!