Snowflake suncatchers

We had this string of snowflake lights hanging on the window in our kitchen. I bought them last Christmas and it was a fun decoration. Here is a (not great) photo of the lights last year. Wow, I can't believe we are in the same house for 2 Christmases in a row! Back to the topic.


This string of lights had a disappointing length of life. When we pulled them out this year, half the string didn't come on. Then, miraculously it came on and we used them all December, with a few bulbs out here and there. In January, half the string stopped working, but this time did not miraculously begin working again, so I decided there must be a problem in the wires. It had to go in the trash.

But I was having trouble throwing the whole thing away. The string of lights is one thing, but each snowflake is a hard plastic snowflake caseing with 3 screws and 6 clear plastic rings holding it together. Seemed a shame. I thought maybe we could fill them with something and hang them up for decorations so I proceeded to take one snowflake apart. Well, then I had it figured out so my husband smiled, entertained, as I proceeded to take the other 7 snowflakes apart. I declared I would do a project with them!

And I actually did! I bought a large bag of translucent colored pony beads and the craft store and over the last month or so we have completed them. Lexi has great fine motor and could get the beads in herself. She loved the beads. She really just wanted to play with the beads, but had to humor me with project to get to play with the beads. :) It took kind of a long time for her to focus and fill up one snowflake, but with coaching she did. And each time David and I completed one ourselves, as well. So we each did 2 and Lexi did 3.





Here are a few of them. The lighter colored one by the play kitchen is one of Lexi's snowflakes. I really like them! They look pretty hanging with fishing line in the windows and we will be able to pull them out year after year (I hope!)