Frugal Craft: Tissue Paper Cross Stained Glass Window

Wow, it has been a long time since I had a chance to post one of our crafts! I actually have some down time tonight (miraculously!) so I want to catch up on one at least. We just did this the other day and I loved it. It's super easy and for me, it was free, so that is definitely a win.

This started last week when I got a magazine in the mail, Oriental Trading Company, which I've not heard of and never used. But I'm glad I got it because it has some really cute craft ideas in it! Okay, so technically you are supposed to buy the craft supplies from them... but I think we all know I am too frugal to do that! We make our own stuff in these here parts!

So, this is one craft I wanted to do with my kids and I knew it would be easy to replicate:

 You will need:

• Google search for an image of a cross you like; print it out
• Contact paper
• Scissors
• Black construction paper
• Whatever tissue paper you have in the house
• A little yarn or ribbon if you decide to hang it up

Step 1: Okay, obviously I am making this up as I go along, so just bear with me. First, I went on Google Images and just searched for a cross. I found one really quickly that looked perfect for the project. I printed one out onto regular printer paper.

I put contact paper on top of the cross and traced around it with a pencil. Then I cut it out.

Step 2: I put the contact paper on top of black construction paper and traced the cross only with a pencil. I simply had to bear down enough to get an outline on the black paper, and then cut out the cross. I did this twice because each kid was going to make their own.

Step 3: Put the black crosses on the contact paper. You don't need to glue or anything since the contact paper is sticky already.

Step 4: Start cutting. Cut tissue paper to your heart's content. Or lay on the floor and let your sister do it. After a few sheets you'll just start ripping it anyway.

Step 5: All that hard work is about to pay off! Start sticking the tissue paper randomly around the cross on the contact paper. Again, no glue needed on this step.

Step 6: When you're done, cut out another sheet of contact paper to place face-down on top of the cross and tissue paper. Make a contact paper sandwich, in other words. If you want to hang it, poke a hole in the top and thread yarn through it. Hang it in a window or you can tape it on a window as well.

Voila! Made with craft supplies around the house and the kids loved it. I think they turned out cute, even though we only had three colors of tissue paper!