In our Art for Wellbeing groups, we always combine making beautiful works of art with our discussion about mental health and wellbeing. During this session, we talked about negative bias and how much easier it is to focus on the more negative aspects of our lives, especially with all the dreadful things happening in the world around us. To overcome this negative bias, and to remind us to take notice of the brighter parts of our lives, the group made SunCatchers to make the most of the light and remind them of the beauty of the sun.
What do you need to make SunCatchers
Paper plates – plain or patterned
Scissors
Fresh or dried flowers, leaves or herbs
Self adhesive film
Embellishments for outer edge of plate
Hole punch
Ribbon, string or pipe cleaners
Method
Cut out the centre of the paper plate and use this as a template for your design.
Arrange petals, leaves, herbs and anything else that you want in a design on the middle section that you cut out.
Cut out the self adhesive plastic to fit against the back of the plate, with the sticky side facing outwards.
Transfer your design to the sticky side.
Decorate the edge of the plate, using pens (write an affirmation, if you want), or embellishments, or you can leave it plain.
Cover the front of the plate with another piece of self adhesive plastic and trim around the sides.
Use the hole punch to make a couple of holes at the top and attach some ribbon or string to hang it.
SunCatchers
Collecting the resources from nature was a lovely part of this activity. A lot of the flowers and herbs came from my garden, and they filled the art room at Dove Workshops with a gorgeous fragrance. The group went on a mindful walk, using their senses to choose the petals and leaves for their SunCatchers.
The activity reminded us to be mindfully present – using our senses to be grounded in the moment.
Important information
I have:
a current enhanced DBS check,
safeguarding training for children and vulnerable adults,