Plastic Canvas Sun Catcher

Make this beautiful plastic canvas sun catcher from Amy Lynn to hang outdoors or by a window. This plastic canvas craft can easily be changed to suit your needs, and they also look great on your Christmas tree.

Materials:

• 1 Sheet clear plastic canvas
• 12 clear 8mm round plastic beads
• 6 colored 3mm starburst beads
• 1 ball of yarn any color you wish

Instructions:

1. Take the plastic canvas and cut it into 3 squares wide by 24 squares long. Create 6 of these in total to create one sun catcher.
    
2. Thread your needle with the yarn of your choice.
    
3. Holding the piece so its height is the 3 squares, working from right to left on the top of the piece, put the needle in the top right hold and pull the thread toward you, careful to not pull it all the way through. Leave half an inch of yarn in the back side which you will be tucking in instead of knotting it.
    
4. Take the needle and wrap it around and pull the needle through the square right next to the square you just pulled the needle through. Be sure to wrap the yarn around the excess yarn you left behind. Continue working this all the way around the piece until you get to the left hand side.
    
5. Fold the piece of plastic canvas in half so the ends which haven't been stitched yet meet. Now in the same stitch pattern you been working stitch these two sides together. It will create a tear drop effect if done properly.
    
6. Now you continue on stitching the remaining edge of the plastic canvas so each side matches.
    
7. When you are done take the needle and weave it through the area of the drop where the 2 sides met, securing it without a knot on the underside of the drop. Trim off excess yarn. You have just finished one of the "tear drops." Repeat these steps until you have six completed "tear drops".
    
8. Once you have created your 6 "tear drops" you are now ready to start the bead work.
    
9. Taking your needle and thread, take one of the "tear drops" and count down in the middle of the row of 3 squares, down to the 7th square, insert your needle directly into the middle of the "tear drop" add 1 8mm round bead, 1 3mm starburst, and then 1 8mm round bead, now insert the needle in the 7th square on the other side (still inside) of the "tear drop". Once you are on the outside of the "tear drop" repeat this step, taking your needle and thread, take one of the "tear drops" and count down in the middle of the row of 3 squares, down to the 7th square, insert your needle directly into the middle of the "tear drop" add 1 8mm round bead, 1 3mm starburst, and then 1 8mm round bead, now insert the needle in the 7th square on the other side (still inside) of the "tear drop". Keep going until all 6 are linked up, which should be about 6 inches worth of yarn. Tie a knot between the 1st and last "tear drop" you have linked up. Create a loop about 4 inches long for hanging in a window.
    
10. Now you can take your just created Sun Catcher and turn it so all the "tear drops" are pointing inward. Leaving the round part of the drops all on the outside, that is one style. Another style is leaving is as that style and turning every other one so the point is pointing outward. Another style is taking all the "tear drops" and pointing all the "tear drops" so the points are all facing outward. The last is my favor style. But the changes are limitless, and these sell like hotcakes around Christmas time as many use these to decorate their trees with.