DIY Spring Sun Catchers: A Simple Nature Craft for Kids

I think littles sometimes see the world differently than grown-ups. They see every stick, leaf and flower pedal as a treasure and definitely worth stopping for. Trust me, they do! Like many of you, I know from experience. However, if I’m being honest, I hope they never lose the wonder in enjoying the small things. This spring, I wanted to channel that love of nature into something we could create together. Even while we wait for Michigan to wake up.

A close-up, high-angle shot of a young girl with blonde hair admiring a completed DIY suncatcher that is hanging in a window from a clear suction cup with a yellow ribbon. The suncatcher features colorful pressed purple zinnias, yellow cosmos, white daisies, pink flowers, and delicate ferns.

“Love is like dried flowers sometimes. Even though you watch them wither, you cannot help but love them still.” — Munia Khan

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What You’ll Need for Your Spring Sun Catchers

We made a little magic together. The kind that hangs in my window and catches the light on the rainiest of Michigan days. Since our flower beds are still sleeping, I ordered a beautiful dried flower mix online. If you don’t have any dried flowers, you can order them online and have them at your door in no time. This is a no-garden required project, just a lot of creativity and fun!

A flat lay of DIY suncatcher supplies including a Fiskars paper trimmer, a hole punch, tweezers, white envelopes, floral patterned ribbon, and several packets of colorful pressed flowers including daisies, ferns, and purple wildflowers.

Simple Supply List

Dried Flowers: If you don’t have your own, you can purchase inexpensively online. I’ve linked the flowers I ordered HERE.
Self Adhesive Contact Paper: 9 x 12 sheets are easiest to work with.
Tweezers: Helps to move flowers
Hold Puncher: You can see my favorite set HERE. The handles have grips which helps little hands to hang onto.
Ribbon: Thin ribbon is what you need to weave through the holes. If you don’t have any, the dollar store is a great resource or you can see the set I purchased HERE.

A child’s hands carefully holding a finished square of colorful pressed flowers, including purple zinnias, yellow cosmos, white daisies, and pink blossoms, sealed between two transparent sheets as a completed DIY suncatcher.

How to Make a Spring Sun Catcher

Making these suncatchers is so simple and that’s what I actually love about this craft. Little hands can do so much of the work themselves, and watching them place each flower and leaf gave me unbelievable joy! Who couldn’t use more joy in their life! Below is the step-by-step guide for you to make your own with your favorite littles.

A four-image Pinterest collage titled 'Mimi and Me Dried Flower Sun Catchers' featuring a finished floral arrangement on a clear sheet, a close-up of a paper trimmer cutting adhesive sheets, a hand using tweezers to place a red petal, and a flat lay of crafting supplies like ribbon and a hole punch.

Step 1 – Cut Your Contact Paper

Depending on how many you plan to make, cut your 9×12 sheets of clear contact paper into four equal squares. This gives you the perfect size for the little hands to work with and makes enough sun catchers for everyone to have their very own to take home! You’ll need two for each sun catcher.

A pile of square-cut white contact paper sheets on a light surface, with a child’s hands resting on either side, ready to begin the base of a DIY pressed flower suncatcher craft.

Step 2 – Set-Up Your Flower Station

Peel the backing off your first square and lay it sticky side up on a flat surface. Then set out your dried flowers and leaves and let your littles go to work! This is honestly the best part. Watching them carefully choose each petal and decide exactly where it belongs is part of the fun. Choosing the flowers can be a long process for them, so have patience.

There are no rules of how many to lay. The more personal and unique the better!

A close-up, top-down view of black crafting tweezers carefully positioning a pressed white daisy with a yellow center onto a transparent adhesive sheet, next to a detailed pressed green fern and a striking purple-blue delphinium flower for a DIY suncatcher project.

If you buy the dried flower kit online, it will likely come with a set of tweezers to handle the flowers and stems. Let me tell you, they come in handy! I didn’t know how well my littles would be able to use them, but I was genuinely surprised by how easy it was for them. Using tweezers is important because the flowers and stems are so fragile. The tweezers will help keep the flowers from falling apart for the littles and for Mimi!

A close-up of a man's hand using crafting tweezers to help a young girl arrange colorful pressed flowers, including yellow zinnias and green ferns, onto a clear sheet for a DIY suncatcher project.

A close-up shot of a child's hand using black crafting tweezers to carefully place a bright pink pressed flower onto a clear sheet, surrounded by ferns and other colorful pressed blooms for a DIY suncatcher.

Step 3 – Seal It and Trim

Once your little one is happy with the arrangement, peel the backing off your second square and carefully lay it sticky side down on top. This part is a little tricky so me and papa helped with this. Once on, press gently across the whole surface to seal everything in and smooth out any air bubbles.

If the edges don’t line up perfectly, you can cut each side to make sure no sticky edge is exposed. I used a Fiskars cutting device that I had in my storage closet from my scrapbooking days, and it worked perfectly.

A close-up, top-down view of a clear Fiskars paper trimmer being used to cut transparent sheets layered with colorful pressed flowers, including yellow zinnias, pink cosmos, and green ferns, for a DIY suncatcher project.

Step 4 – Add Your Ribbon

Use your hole punch to make two holes on the top of your creation. Thread your ribbon or twine through and tie a simple knot or bow. Once complete, your spring sun catcher is ready to hang!

A close-up shot of a hand threading a piece of natural twine through a hole in a DIY suncatcher, which features pressed purple zinnias, yellow wildflowers, green ferns, and delicate baby’s breath.

A close-up of a hand with a silver heart-shaped ring holding a bright yellow polka-dot ribbon over a collection of pressed white daisies, yellow wildflowers, and green leaves for a DIY spring suncatcher.

I tried several ribbons. The ribbon I originally thought I would use was too thick. You need something that is thin and will knot easily. I recommend hanging these in a south-facing window where the Michigan sun can really make those pressed petals glow! A southern window acts like a natural spotlight from late morning through the afternoon.

A young girl looking at a completed DIY pressed flower suncatcher hanging from a suction cup in a sunny window, with vibrant purple, yellow, and pink flowers glowing in the natural light.

Fresh flowers are not recommended for this craft because they contain moisture which can cause mold and discoloration over time inside the contact paper. Dried flowers work best and will keep your sun catchers looking their best!

With proper care your sun catchers can last several months. Keep them out of constant direct harsh sunlight for extended periods as this will cause the flowers to fade.

This craft is honestly fun for all ages. From toddlers to teens this project makes for a fun day! Little ones as young as three can participate in placing the flowers with supervision, while older kids and teenagers can take on more creative control of their arrangements. It makes a perfect rainy day activity for the whole family and a sweet project to do together across the generations!

A child holding a pressed flower suncatcher made with colorful dried flowers and greenery on a clear background.

Simple Crafts, Big Memories!

There’s nothing better for me than spending any amount of time with my family and what better way than a simple afternoon that turns into a memory. These sun catchers now hang at my little’s home and mine. Everytime the light catches them I smile. I hope you and your littles make some of your own this spring! You can see more of my Mimi and Me posts HERE.

If you make your own sun catchers, I’d love for you to share them with me!

Happy sun catching!

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A four-image collage showing the steps to make DIY pressed flower suncatchers: gathering supplies like a paper trimmer and ribbon, arranging petals with tweezers, and hanging the final craft in a bright window.

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DIY Spring Sun Catchers: A Simple Nature Craft for Kids

“Love is like dried flowers sometimes. Even though you watch them wither, you cannot help but love them still.” — Munia Khan

What You’ll Need for Your Spring Sun Catchers

Simple Supply List