Easy Rainbow Suncatcher (Toddler-Friendly St Patrick's Day Fun)

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Create this colorful and fun DIY rainbow suncatcher for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day craft! With simple materials like contact paper and tissue paper squares, kids can craft a vibrant rainbow-shaped suncatcher to brighten up any window!

rainbow suncatcher for st patricks day pin

This easy and engaging activity allows children to explore their creativity while celebrating the festive spirit of the holiday.

It’s a great way to add some flair to your St. Patty’s decorations while keeping little hands entertained!

Plus, a rainbow craft is fun any time of the year, in my opinion!

Supplies

Here are all the supplies you’ll need for this easy spring craft!

Rectangular piece of cardboard
Contact paper (aka clear adhesive paper)
Tissue paper (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
X-Acto knife
Scissors
Pencil
Piece of yarn or string
Thumbtack

Directions:

Making a tissue paper square suncatcher on contact paper is a simple and fun craft that kids will love! Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create this colorful project:

Prepare Your Rainbow Arch

Using a thumbtack, piece of yarn, and pencil, create a guide for tracing out a rainbow arch on your piece of cardboard.
Pulling it tight, use the string to guide your hand and trace out the perfect arch shape with your pencil.

Once you’re happy with the shape, cut out the arch with scissors. You can make multiple if you have more than one kid doing this rainbow craft!

rainbow arch shapes made out of cardboard

Next, cut out the center of the arch shape with an X-acto knife, leaving a rainbow-shaped opening with about a 2-inch edge around it.

supplies for rainbow craft for preschoolers

Now, grab a piece of contact paper that is larger than your cardboard arch and remove the backing.
Then, press your cardboard arch down onto the sticky side of the contact paper.
Finally, cut off the excess contact paper around the edge of your rainbow arch. This should leave you with just the sticky side of the paper exposed through the center of your rainbow arch!

arch made out of cardboard and contact paper

Create Rainbow Design

Cut tissue paper into small squares (about 1-2 inches). For this St. Patrick’s Day craft for kids, you’ll want to use rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple!)
Put tissue paper squares in individual containers so each color is separated and easy to reach!
Lay out your rainbow arch with the sticky side of the suncatcher facing upwards!

Starting with the top of the rainbow, have your child take a red tissue paper square and gently press it onto the sticky side of the contact paper, along the top of the arch.
(The contact paper holds the pieces in place, so no glue or anything is needed. I love a good, no-mess toddler craft!!)

adding red tissue paper squares onto contact paper rainbow

Have your child continue placing more red squares along the arch until the top row is done.
Then, use the same process and make more arches just below the last with orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple tissue paper squares!
Once all arches are done, the rainbow is complete!

Note: You may have to make a 2nd row of red, orange, etc., depending on how big your shape is – but the more color, the merrier, right?

Optional Step – Once the tissue paper squares are all in place, you can take another piece of contact paper and place it sticky side down over the tissue paper design to “seal” it. This may take some of the shine effect away, but it will protect the craft for years to come!

girl holding up a big faux stained glass craft

Display Your Rainbow Suncatcher Craft for Kids

Hang your suncatcher in a window where the sun can shine through the bright tissue paper squares.

Whether it’s in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day or any time of the year, kids will be so excited to see the shining, colorful effect through their DIY rainbow suncatcher!

Variations to Extend this St Patrick’s Day Craft

Here are a few ways to continue the learning and fun with this rainbow craft!

✋Hone in on fine motor skills

Have kids help tear or cut the tissue paper squares to help develop their hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

🎨Teach about primary & secondary colors

Using the tissue paper squares, talk with your kids about the colors they’re using and how some of them can mix together to make new colors.
Primary colors (red, blue, yellow) can be mixed together to make secondary colors (green, orange, purple).

☀️Explore light and shadows

Go outside with your kids and have them hold up their suncatchers in the sunlight. You can talk about how the sun interacts with objects to create light and shadows.
Even more, you can experiment with your rainbow suncatchers in different lighting (like morning & mid-day) to see how they change!

🌈Use the rainbow craft to inspire storytelling

After creating the suncatcher, have children write or tell a story that involves a rainbow!

Encourage them to imagine characters and places where rainbows might be – like in a land of magical creatures, after a big storm, or on an adventure to find a pot of gold!

bird's eye view of child making a faux stained glass rainbow craft

🍀Teach about St Patrick’s Day

According to Irish legend, there’s a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow! So, this craft is the perfect opportunity to share the stories and traditions of St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the symbols of the season!