Transform Old Plastic Cups To DIY The Cutest, Plant-Inspired Suncatcher

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Suncatchers filter the warm glow of the sun's rays through their many prisms. This cheerful home decor is quite literally filled with summertime ephemera — think colorful flowers, soft green leaves, and bright rays of light. You can buy garden-themed suncatchers for less than $3 online, though making one yourself is likely almost as affordable and the outcome is arguably more beautiful. In a tutorial video on Instagram, tinalemac shares a budget-friendly DIY suncatcher that anyone can make, starting using a few clear plastic drinking cups and some simple craft supplies. This window ornament will add a biophilic vibe to your home without any watering or other care required.

If you don't already have some clear plastic cups with your party supplies, you can purchase a pack of 100 Amazon Basics Small Disposable Clear Plastic Cups for less than $6. Take out the two or three you need for this project and put the remaining cups back in the cabinet for your next shindig. You'll also need a tube of Pebeo Vitrail Cerne Relief Dimensional Paint and a DecoArt Primary Colors Glass Paint Set to create the flowers and foliage of the suncatcher. Also add some jump rings, metal jewelry chain, jeweler's pliers, a hole punch, and a suction cup hook to your supplies. Finally, a few pieces of paper, a black fine-tipped marker, and some scissors will come in handy for making plant patterns, while some parchment paper and an iron complete the supplies needed.

You don't use the clear plastic cups as-is. You need to cut the plastic walls into small squares. You can discard or recycle the bases of the cups or save them for a future DIY project. Place some pieces of parchment paper over the plastic squares, set your iron to the lowest temperature, and iron the squares until the plastic flattens. Make sure the iron doesn't touch the plastic directly. Use the marker to draw patterns of plant parts on scrap paper. If you're not much of an illustrator, use some plant-themed stencils, like this 70-piece Yhslmh Small Nature Stencil Set for about $10. Measure your plastic squares to ensure the stencils fit inside them. The small blooms will hang from the umbrella-like leaves, so make the foliage larger than the flowers.

Place a transparent plastic square over one of your patterns and trace around it with the gold relief paint. Repeat until you've outlined all of your foliage and flowers. Use the glass paint to fill in the plastic inside the lines of gold relief paint, choosing colors that are appropriate for each plant part and complement the style of biophilic design that's right for your home. Once the relief and glass paints have dried to the touch, cut out each plant part with scissors. Punch a hole into the top of each and thread a jump ring through it. Attach each plant part to the next, using the jeweler's pliers to open and close the jump rings. Add one end of some metal chain to the top of your suncatcher and attach the other end to the suction hook. Your suncatcher is now ready to hang in a window!

The sky's the limit in terms of how you interpret the biophilic interior decor theme for this suncatcher. You're not limited to using just your hand-painted plastic adornments for this project, either. Plenty of suncatchers are made from small objects that glitter brilliantly in the sunlight. Take the opportunity to experiment with sophisticated combinations. You could add colorful glass beads or iridescent teardrop-, heart-, or star-shaped crystals. You can also buy sets of large metal charms, like these Sunnyclue Gold Brass Filigree Star, Sun, and Moon Charms.

Not inspired by such sparkly treasures? You could pivot to cool-season decor and holiday themes. Draw pumpkins and apples for Thanksgiving or holly leaves and berries for Christmas on the pieces of plastic. In fact, you can buy a Wastroyal Christmas Sun Catcher Kit with red and green crystals, silver-hued snowflake charms, and Merry Christmas signage to combine with your own plastic pieces.

If you get bored of suncatcher designs quickly, this Softplate Five-Hook Driftwood Holder makes it easy to switch up what you hang from it. Similarly, a large dreamcatcher ring would allow you to mix some artificial flowers and vines into your display by wrapping them around the metal circle from which your other fixtures hang. No matter how personalized you make your design, all the creativity in the world won't matter if you hang your suncatcher in the wrong spot. Choose a sunny window in your home.