Are you looking for a fun winter craft for kids? They’ll love making these easy DIY Ice Suncatcher Ornaments. The craft will get your kids outdoors exploring nature and creating cool ice ornaments to decorate your trees.
This is a great winter activity for classrooms or at home to get your kids off electronics and outside in the winter month. Fill these frozen suncatchers with items you find in nature and display them outside your home or school. You’ll love the way they reflect the sunshine.
Follow along and find out how to make ice ornaments your kids will be excited to show off.
Fun Ice Suncatcher Ornaments Winter Craft for Kids
When the cold hits it’s often hard to convince your kids to go outside in the cold. What you need are fun outdoor winter activities your kids will be excited to try.
One of our family’s favorite winter crafts is creating Ice suncatchers ornaments to decorate our yard. Kids can enjoy the whole process from exploring nature to finding items for the ornaments to seeing them catch the sunshine when you’re done.
Once you try this winter craft make sure to try our DIY Snow Painting and Ice Balloons Science Experiment too.
Items Needed to Make Ice Ornaments
Here is what you’ll need to make your Ice suncatcher ornaments.
- Pie tin or plastic plate (with a rim)
- Small bits & pieces from Nature
- String
- Water
How to Make Ice Ornaments
There are only a few simple steps to make these frozen suncatchers winter craft.
1. Go on a Nature Hike
The first step is to head outside on a nature hike or just explore your yard for items to go into your ice suncatcher ornaments. Collect at least 5-10 items for each ice ornament you will be making.
Some suggestions are – Berries, twigs, leaves, small pinecones, flower petals
While you’re out on your nature hike take some time to explore the trail with our free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt.
Tip: For the next steps I suggest you do it outside in the place you plan to leave your pie tin overnight to freeze. This way you won’t have to move the tin when it’s full of water.
2. Put Items into a Pie Tin
Now place some of the items you found on your nature hike into a pie tin or plastic plate. I suggest you do this last part outside in the place you plan to leave it overnight to freeze
3. Add a Piece of String
Now cut out a piece of string that will be used to hang your Ice suncatcher ornaments. Make a U shape out of the string with the ends placed in the pie tin. Leaving the top of the U outside the pie tin to work as your hook.
Another option is to drill a hole into the frozen Ice Ornament when you’re done and put a string through that hole.
4. Fill the Pie Tin with Water
Now fill your pie tin with water up to the edge of the tin. I noticed when I did this my string rose to the top of the water so I used one of my heavier twigs to hold the string down.
5. Freeze Overnight
Let the Ice ornaments freeze overnight outdoors. If it’s not cold enough you could also put it into your freezer overnight.
6. Pop-Out your Ice Suncatcher Ornament
The next day you simply pop out your frozen ice suncatcher ornament from the pie tin and it’s ready.
7. Hang It on a Tree
Lastly, decorate your yard with the Ice suncatcher ornaments by hanging them on a tree or bush. If you put it near a window you’ll be able to watch the sun shine through it from the warmth of your house.
Smaller Ice Suncatcher Ornaments
If you want to make a bunch of smaller Ice ornaments use an ice tray instead of a pie tin. Kids can add their nature finds into the ice cube holder, add a smaller string and then fill it with water to freeze.
Once frozen just pop it out like you would an ice cube and hang them on a tree.
Wreath Ice Catcher
Another idea is to use a bunt mold which would create a wreath shape. You’ll have an open circle in the middle which you can hang a string through. This would look really pretty around Christmas time.
Are you excited to try making these cool DIY Ice Suncatcher Ornaments? I really hope your kids enjoy this winter craft idea as much as my kids have!
More Winter Activities for Kids
Let’s keep you busy all winter with indoor and outdoor activites for kids. You can visit our Kids Activity page to get tons of ideas or check out some favorites below.
Outdoor Winter Activities:
DIY Snow Painting for Kids – Add some color to your snowmen and snow forts this year.
30 Fun Outdoor Winter Activites for Kids – These are sure to get your kids outdoors & off electronics!
Ice Balloons Science Experiment – Find out what happens when you freeze a water balloon.
Indoor Winter Activities:
DIY Hallway Laser Maze – Turn your hallway into an obstacle course with streamers.
Fun Rainy Day Activities for Kids & Indoor Games – Boredom Busting indoor activities
30 Cheap & Fun Family Bonding Activites at Home – Fun ways to spend family time together
Best Family Game Night Ideas & Tips – How to Plan a Family Game Night at home & game ideas
20 Fun Stay at Home Indoor Activities for Kids – Energy-busting ideas when stuck indoors.
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