DIY Suncatchers From Upcycled CDs

I'm lucky to have quite a few crafty friends in my life. One of those friends, Hillary, actually teaches art classes once or twice a month throughout the year. Making DIY suncatchers was one of those classes. It's also how I learned how easy it is take that painted layer or image off any CD.

Basically, all you need to do, is place a piece of tape over the painted side of the CD. Leave one end of the tape hanging off the edge of the CD. Then lift the edge of the tape by the outer edge of the CD slightly.

Next, use a pair of scissors to scratch off a small amount of the coating under the outer edge of the tape.

Now press the tape back down over the scratch you made into the CD coating. Pull the tape away from the outer edge of the CD. The painted layer or coating on the CD will pull right off!

All you need to do now is repeat this process as needed until all of the coating has been removed. At that point you should have a completely clear CD.

You can now design your suncatcher. To do this you can either trace a design that you've found and like. Or you can freehand a design from your imagination.

I used a black sharpie marker to freehand a drawing onto my blank, clear plastic CD.

Now paint in your design using suncatcher paint.

After the paint on your DIY suncatchers has dried, you can additional elements to your work. Use fishing line to hang your suncatchers. You can also add beads or ribbon to the fishing line for a unique look. (Excuse the dirty window. It had just rained and the sky was overcast.)

You can find more examples of the DIY suncatchers my friends and I created here.

I love how easy this idea is! It's also perfect for make and take craft nights. We did, however, place our painted suncatchers in an empty plastic food container for transport home, along with some fishing line, as these do take a while to dry fully.

What design are you looking forward to painting on your own DIY suncatchers?