Nature Prints + Stained Glass Project Combo

This print is framed with red masking tape on our "art wall." Washi tape with fun designs is also great to have on-hand.

We LOVE how this came out. My daughter proudly proclaimed it a masterpiece! And we love projects that look good no matter what you do. You might be thinking: that's nice, but what a mess. I know this is a barrier for a lot of parents (and also me!). I don't do these messy projects that often, but this one fits together nicely with another project we love, so it's definitely worth the effort. Plus, I have a few tips that will simplify the process.

We like to use large paper so we can make a lot of prints. A series of small prints would also be very cool to display. Use masking tape to attach your paper to a piece of cardboard. Place newspaper underneath wherever needed, as well.

Collect leaves and flowers of varying shapes and textures.

Ragdollz are not found in nature--they are star beings!. She tried to make her own art prints, but we kept her out of the paint.

Mix your paint. We use inexpensive tempura paint and a muffin tin. My daughter likes to mix (and mix!) until she gets her favorite shades. We sometimes give the colors names to add a little more creativity to the mix.

Paint your leaves generously and begin printing!

Ferns are perfect for making prints. A project with only fern prints would be awesome too.

Before lifting the fern, we tapped on the back with a paintbrush to make sure all the colors printed.

The middle of the Black Eyed Susan is perfect for printing circles. We couldn't find any daisies to make flower-shaped prints--I love how those look.

When finished, leave the painted plants on the cardboard and put the whole thing somewhere out of the way. We put ours on the screened porch to dry overnight. When dry, bring the cardboard back to your work area. Remove your beautiful nature print and display!

Now you're ready for Phase II with your painted nature items.

Cut out clear contact paper to fit your windows. Secure with masking tape to a piece of cardboard or table. Be sure to put the sticky side up.

We collected some new leaves, ferns and flowers to add to the painted plants for our stained glass project.

Arrange your plants on the contact paper. Be sure to place all your plants "pretty side" down so the colors will face into your house rather than outside.

Carefully lift the masking tape and place the contact paper onto your window. This can be a bit fiddly. I hold it by the top two corners and secure those to the window first. Then smooth the contact paper with my hands, moving from the middle to the outside edges.

I hope you give this one a try! These are beautiful decorations for spring and summer.