Make a Fall Sun-Catcher

Trees are an important part of habitat for many wild animals. Can you think of ways that trees are used by wildlife?

Many animals use trees for shelter and food. Squirrels, birds, and other animals use leaves to make their nests soft and warm. While we don’t use leaves to make our homes cozy, we can decorate with leaves. One way is to make a beautiful fall sun-catcher.

Things You’ll Need:
3 or 4 colorful leaves
2 paper towels
Heavy book
2 pieces of wax paper
Iron
Tape

To make a sun-catcher, you’ll need to gather some colorful leaves. The best ones are leaves that have fallen, but can still be bent without crumbling. While collecting your leaves, look for birds, insects, and other animals. How are they using trees? If you see an animal you can’t identify, remember its color, size, shape, and any sounds it makes. Then ask an adult to help you identify it. Or go to the library and look through identification books for the animals you saw. You might even go online!

Once you have gathered your leaves, they need to be pressed. First, place them between two paper towels. Next, lay a heavy book on top of the towels and leaves. This will flatten
and dry the leaves. Let your leaves dry under the book for several days. Once dry, place your leaves on a piece of wax paper. Put another sheet of wax paper on top of the leaves.
Finally, ask an adult to help you iron over the wax paper. The iron should be on a “low” setting with no steam.

Let the sun-catcher cool before you pick it up. Then, tape it to a window. You now have a colorful, homemade fall sun-catcher!