t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

12.13.2008

Finally, Something Good with Corn Syrup: Stained Glass Snowflakes

These pictures don't give them justice. They are beautiful when done!
I am advocating the use of Corn Syrup. Surprised? Don't be. This was a darling craft done in Ellery's kindergarten class this fall. As I gushed about them to her teacher, she admitted they were her favorite craft all year. They painted cardstock leaves with corn syrup. Results...glossy, fall stained leaves. I was sold. We added a winter twist to ours. I drove Callista crazy the entire time we did this because I kept trying to help. "Mooommm Doooon't!" was oft repeated.

Trust me on this, these are gorgeous. The pictures do not do them justice. Try it and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Stained Glass Snowflakes
Cardstock (white looks the best)
Food coloring

Corn Syrup

Paper plates

Newspaper

Glitter (if you have girls of course)

Ribbon
How to:
Cut snowflakes (or whatever shape your heart desires) out of cardstock. We did large snowflakes to hang in our windows, but I think little ones would make neat little Christmas ornaments. Swirl food coloring into corn syrup. Mix glitter in if desired, or you can dust with glitter while the corn syrup is still wet.
We used our fingers to swirl the colors onto our snowflakes. According to Ellery they don't have paint brushes at school. "We always use our fingers Mom." The corn syrup, while sticky, is surprisingly easy to clean up, and prevented the color from staining our fingers.Callista's kept turnng brown, because the plate you saw with all those colors above, lasted about 3 seconds until she had taken her little hand and mixed every color. However, her's still turned our surprisingly pretty. (I did add a few bursts of color on the really gray one, when she wasn't looking of course.)

Let sit until hard. This requires a few days, beware! Repeat process on the back side, if desired. String ribbon through and enjoy!
They will drip if they get wet, so watch out for that.

No comments: