Recycled Na’layn Suncatcher {Tutorial}

May 24, 2018June 3, 2018 acraftyarab Islamic resource, Ramadan Crafts

Our Ramadan craft today involves rescuing some cds and turning them into beautiful suncatchers.

We had some compact discs that were on their way to the trash can when I discovered that they could be used as sun catchers, once the shiny covers were removed.

Peeling the covers allowed a beautiful surface to be revealed, transforming them into clear canvases.

Since most stained glass materials are dangerous to children, I love using the gallery glass from Plaid Online as it contains no lead. I received it as my role as a Plaid Ambassador and we used it a few months ago to make a moon and star suncatcher.

Today my teen daughter and I made the shape of the na’layn in Arabic, which represent the blessed sandals of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on a cd suncatcher. Some Muslims believe that in different forms the na’layn benefits and protects the carrier.

Supplies

Gallery Glass leading blanks
Gallery Glass Paints
Gallery liquid leading
Duct tape
Drill
Decorative bead
String crystal beads
Pliers
Oval rings
Recycled cds
Na’layn template

I used the drill to make two holes on opposite sides of the cd. Even though we will not be using the holes till the end, when we add the beads, we need them now so that the duct tape can work in the next step.

The cover will not peel off the cd until a hole or gash is made. Once that is created, my daughter placed a piece of duct tape over the hole and pressed it very hard. When she peeled off the tape, the shiny cover should come off the cd. Sometimes the images are added in a way that will not allow them to lift, but most of the time we were lucky in cleaning off the shiny material.

My daughter placed the na’layn template under the clean cd and used the lead black paint to outline the design.

She worked with a steady hand, working in short lines and taking her time. Any mistakes were quickly cleaned up with a qtip.

Once the black had set, we placed the cd on the lead blank and added the colors. Any bubbles we saw, we poked with a safety pin.

To make sure the middle of the cd was covered in the same color, we made sure to do the middle of the lead blank and that it not move for a few hours. Once all the colors had set the next day, the middle stayed solid.

My daughter used the pliers to open the oval rings and add the beads to them before adding them to the cd holes.
Our suncatcher was done and ready to hang.

We hung it to our window with a suction hook.

It looks so beautiful when the light shines through.