Today the kids and I made Sun Prints.
We used this kit I picked up at the ranger station at the Redwood Forest.....you can find out more about it here.
You can also make sun prints using regular construction paper. You need to choose a dark color like blue, black, or purple and you need a very sunny day.
First you need to go on a nature hike. The kids scoured the hills for some good material.
We then placed it on the special paper and put it in the sun. With construction paper you will have to leave it for several hours. With the sun print paper this takes only minutes.
The kit included a Plexiglas plate to hold down material in the position you wanted. This also helped keep everything together in the breeze.
You then soak it in water for 1 minute. If using construction paper skip this step.
Here are our prints drying on the deck.
The paper reverses as it dries. The image becomes light and the background dark......with construction paper your image will be dark and the background light.
We then mounted ours on some watercolor paper and hung it in the cabin. The kids found this whole process fascinating and I will have to get some more of this paper. I would love to do a series of nature prints for the hallway at home.
Still working on our tiny macrame owls....we are trying to do a Momma and a baby as a wall hanging.
we'll see you next time
gail
LOVELY!! I bought sun print paper for my daughter's 6th birthday party we were going to make xrays with it -- unfortunately it rained. BUT!! I love the way you made them into wall hangings with the branch, I'm planning to do this. Fondly, MaryLea (pink and green mama)
ReplyDeleteThese are delightful. I've done something similar as an art project with grandchildren, having them gather their leaves & twigs, laying them out on dark t-shirts (bought for the occasion) and spritzing them with a bleach & water solution. The shirts are reminders of a great day spent with Grandma.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful! I can't wait to do this project with my kids. I especially love how you hung them. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHey pink and green mama: Good luck with your nature prints sorry to hear your daughter's party got rained out.
ReplyDeleteCia Huston Dreves: I have never tried the bleach method..I'll have to give it a go
Sam: Thanks for your great comment. I hope you kids enjoy this project.
The prints have deepened in color over the past few days to a wonderful indigo..still keeping that great contrast with the print material. They look fantastic and I can see I'll be making more...I'd like to try and get the larger paper and have the kids make scenes out of more natural material.