A bit gray outside? No worries. Hung in a window, this bejeweled, dancing sun catcher will coax the sun back in no time.

Materials

• 2 1/2 feet of 20-gauge beading wire
• 25 to 30 translucent colored beads
• Ruler

• Wire snips
• Spice bottle or similarly shaped object (optional, for molding)
• Clear fishing line

Instructions

1. Bend and twist a hanging loop at one end of the wire.

2. Thread a bead onto the other end of the wire and push it up until it sits about 1 inch from the bottom of the hanging loop. Bend the wire in a Z shape around the bead to lock it in place, pressing the wire so that it hugs the bead tightly.

3. Thread on the rest of the beads using the same technique. We threaded ours approximately an inch apart, but you can vary the distance. Leave at least a 1 1/2-inch tail of wire after the last bead. Wrap this end snugly around the bead twice, then snip off any excess wire.

4. Mold the sun catcher into a spring by very gently wrapping it around a small spice bottle or similarly shaped item. To give it a sweet egg shape, as in our finished product, gently tighten the top and bottom coils. (You can also skip the spring-molding step and turn your sun catcher into a star or ring.)

5. Finally, tie a length of fishing line to the loop at the top and hang the sun catcher where it can sparkle in sunlight.

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