How to Make a Crystal Rain Drop Sun Catcher

Hurry! While there's still spring showers - make this super fun little rain cloud!

I know the weather is different everywhere, but here in Northern California, I can count on one hand how many times it's rained in the past two months. It even got up to 80 in February!

However...I have to admit, despite global warming, I loved it. I loved it being warm and I loved no rain. I get S.A.D. when it rains 😩.

Actually, S.A.D. is no joke. It stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Symptoms are depression during the winter months, especially when it rains a lot. I lost 6 months to an awful winter about 5 years ago.

Gosh, if I had thought about it prior, I could have said I did this project to confront something that's hard for me - a therapeutic exercise. Maybe that's what I'll say from now on, haha 🤫.

And here's how to make the cloud:

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The materials:

• Shrink film

• Alcohol inks

• Beading wire

• Small chandelier-like crystals

• Blue seed beads

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Step 1:

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 used a piece of leftover film from a different project. It was mostly still there.

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

Step 2:

Cut out a cloud shape.

Step 3:

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

Step 4:

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.

Here is a before and after:

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

Step 5:

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

Step 6 & 7:

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 8:

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

Hang up your crystal raincloud in a window and admire your work!

Buy the supplies on Amazon: