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How to add embossing to a panel for a very “French” look

You want a damage-free hanging solution that’s up to the task – not one that will drop your object like a hot potato. For slightly heavier items, remember that five pounds feels like a regular bag of potatoes. Not sure if you have a standard size bag? Just check the front of the bag for the 5lb weight.

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Suncatchers are decorative pieces that hang either from a window with a suction cup or from a hook drilled into the top of the frame. Both decorative and endlessly versatile, the intensity of the color of the glass in a sun catcher is affected by the angle and intensity of the sunlight.

Single or multiple pieces

The ability to purchase individual glass pendants means you can create an endless variety of suncatcher layouts. Start with a single piece in the center and build around it until your center suncatcher is perfectly framed.

You can work with a variety of colored, painted and prismatic lenses. Regardless of your favorite shade, the changing sunlight will create new colors in your home for your enjoyment.

Sources of colored glass

The ability to make flat glass has been around for over 800 years. Colored glass can be either painted or tinted in liquid form. Glass suncatchers are generally made of stained glass and are both heavy and fragile.

Using crystal or glass prism beads you can build a beautiful glass sun catcher that offers endless variety. These beads can be strung in a chain or hung as a single pendant. You can also intersperse these with other colored glass beads that will brighten and beautify your home.

Other suncatcher materials

There are many plastic products that work well as sun catchers. These parts are much lighter and give the user more flexibility. Some of these products can be designed and made at home, and there are many plastics that can be molded and baked in your oven.

How to hang a sun catcher

For small window suncatchers that aren’t too heavy, a hook attached to a suction cup can work. Make sure you get a larger suction cup than you think you will need as the window will heat up when the sun hits it. This heat is a side effect of keeping your sun catcher looking nice, but it can also cause the hook to come loose and fall off.

To hang a sun catcher on the glass with a suction cup hook,

Start with a plastic sun catcher or other lightweight object

Clean the window

Allow the inside of the suction cup to get slightly damp

Press it firmly into the jar

Hang your sun catcher

Place a towel or pillow under the sun catcher to catch it if the hook fails.

This testing process is critical. If the hook doesn’t stick to the glass when something light is attached to it, you could damage your glass suncatcher.

If you want a stained glass suncatcher in a window, the best way is to screw a hook or other hanging tool into the frame at the top of the window. You can also screw on a hook hidden under curtain hardware or a valance and loop the suncatcher cord over the screw. This means the sun catcher is a little farther from the glass but it protects your sun catcher.

When inserting your mounting hook, be sure to get the screw into the frame, not just the trim panel at the top. A short screwed coffee cup hook probably won’t go deep enough. Trim boards are nailed down with finishing nails, and eventually your hook can cause the board to pull away.

What string should I use?

Depending on the weight of your sun catcher, you can use

picture wire

a fine chain

fishing line

Both wire and chain are visible while the fishing line is see-through. Wire and chain must be crimped to the sun catcher. Fishing line can be looped and tied before looping it over the hook.

Sun catchers are a beautiful way to enjoy every view out of your window. You can hang a single prism for endless variety or a specific piece of stained glass for your enjoyment. By hanging it on a suction cup hook, watch the hook as the seasons change. If you know there is a risk of frost, take the hook down. If this is not possible, place something soft under the suncatcher to catch it if the suncatcher falls.