If you’re looking for a creative and captivating way to capture the beauty of nature, sun prints with solar paper are the perfect artistic endeavor for you! Also known as cyanotype prints, this simple and fascinating process allows you to create stunning blue and white images using the power of the sun. In this blog post, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of making sun prints with solar paper. So, grab your supplies, head outdoors, and embark on an exciting journey of exploring the magic of the sun through art!
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Capturing Nature’s Beauty: A Guide to Making Sun Prints with Solar Paper
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
To get started, you’ll need a few essential supplies: solar paper (cyanotype paper), various objects with interesting shapes (leaves, flowers, feathers, or even household items), a piece of cardboard or a clipboard, water and, of course, the sun! Solar paper can be easily found at art supply stores or online, and it’s specifically designed for this enchanting process.
Step 2: Choose Your Design
Now comes the fun part – selecting the objects you’ll use to create your sun prints. Encourage your creativity to run wild as you collect a variety of items with unique textures and shapes. Whether it’s a delicate fern leaf or a child’s favorite toy, any object with interesting details will make for an intriguing sun print.
Step 3: Set Up Your Workspace
Find a sunny spot outdoors for the sun printing process. Lay out a piece of cardboard or use a clipboard as your flat surface. This will serve as the base for arranging your solar paper and objects.
Step 4: Arrange the Solar Paper
Place a sheet of solar paper on the cardboard or clipboard, making sure to keep it out of direct sunlight until you’re ready to create your design. Solar paper is light-sensitive, and exposure to sunlight will begin the printing process.
Step 5: Compose Your Sun Print
Now comes the artistic moment – arrange your chosen objects directly onto the solar paper. Be creative with the placement and experiment with different combinations to achieve your desired design.
Step 6: Harness the Power of the Sun
With your arrangement complete, it’s time to let the sun work its magic! Leave the solar paper with the objects in place for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the intensity of the sunlight (also follow the instructions on your particular solar paper as the length of time may vary). As the sun interacts with the paper, you’ll notice a magical transformation taking place.
Step 7: Rinse and Reveal
After the exposure time is up, carefully remove the objects from the solar paper. Then, rinse the paper under cool running water for about a minute. Watch in awe as the vibrant blue hue develops and any areas covered by the objects remain white. The result is a mesmerizing sun print that beautifully captures the intricate details of nature.
Creating sun prints with solar paper is a delightful way to connect with nature and express your artistic spirit. With minimal supplies and a bit of sunlight, you can produce unique and striking images that celebrate the wonders of the natural world. So, grab your solar paper, head outdoors, and immerse yourself in the enchanting process of making sun prints. Let the power of the sun guide your creativity, and enjoy the joyous journey of turning ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art!
Age Suitability
This activity is good for toddlers aged children 18 years old and up with adult assistance.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is low.
Difficulty to Create
Low.
Skills Developed
Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 airs in the summer of 2023! We were also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
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