Are you looking for a fun way to decorate your room and show off your creativity? Keep reading to learn how to make your own window decorations! From letters to animals and anything in between, window stickers are a fun craft that you put up, take down and reuse over and over again.
Supplies:
Liquid glue (Elmer’s glue)
Dish soap
Food coloring
Disposable cups or washable bowl
Popsicle stick or spoon
Plastic ziplock bag or plastic sheet protector
Measuring spoons
Plain paper and writing utensil (optional)
Wet towel or wipe
Activity Steps:
Step 1: Start by creating a workspace for your activity and laying out your sheet protector flat on the table. Try securing the corners of your sheet protector with tape so it doesn’t move around as you work.
Step 2: Next, imagine what you want your sticker(s) to look like. You might find it helpful to draw a picture, shape, or letter on a piece of plain paper and slide it underneath your prepared sheet protector. This will help give you a template to work with as you go along.
Step 3: Next, grab a disposable cup or washable bowl to mix up your window cling ingredients! Add 2 teaspoons of glue and a few drops of food coloring. Just start with a few drops of food coloring first and you can always add more later. Mix it up! Try adding more than one color to discover new colors! (HINT: blue and yellow make green, blue and red make purple, yellow and red make orange!)
Step 4: Add 2 drops of dish soap to your mixture and stir again. The consistency of your mixture should start to look like slime. But be careful! It’s still really sticky.
Step 5: Next, carefully pour your mixture onto your wax paper. You can use a toothpick, popsicle stick, or spoon to spread out the mixture - like butter on a sandwich! - in the shape you want it to look like.
TIP: As you go along, remember that you’re working with glue - it likes to ooze! When designing your shape, paint your shape in the middle of your wax paper so when it spreads, it doesn’t leak off the edge.
Step 6: Make sure your mixture is spread thinly and evenly across the paper. This will help it dry faster so you can get to decorating your room quicker!
TIP: Not all shapes have to be perfect! Try mixing colors and experimenting with shapes. You can always use scissors to cut and define your shape when it’s dry!
Step 7: When you’re satisfied with your shape, wait for your design to dry. It should take about 2 hours and not be sticky to the touch.
TIP: While you’re waiting for your design to dry, it’s a perfect time to clean up your workspace so nobody sticks a finger in your mess!
Step 8: Finally, when your shape can easily peel from the wax paper without ripping, it’s time to decorate! Try experimenting with different places to put your window clings. Check out what happens when light passes through the shape. Do you see colored shadows around the room? What happens to the shadow at different times of the day?
You can also try putting your design on a wall or mirror to display for friends and family too!
Step 9: When you are done playing with your window cling, place it in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
TIP: If your window cling isn’t sticking anymore, dab a little bit of water on the back of your shape to help it re-stick. Happy decorating!