This chicken wire suncatcher is such a pretty way to turn simple craft supplies into sparkling window art! The wooden frame, wire mesh, and colourful beads come together to make a rustic, handmade decoration that catches the sunlight beautifully. Hang it in a sunny window, on a porch, or in the garden and watch the beads shimmer every time the light hits them.
This is a fun project for using up extra beads, and you can customize the colours for any season or style. Go bright and rainbow coloured, choose warm reds and yellows for a sunny look, or use soft pastels for a more delicate design. However you arrange the beads, this DIY suncatcher adds instant charm and sparkle wherever you hang it.
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How to Make a Chicken Wire Suncatcher
Materials:
- Wood picture frame
- Chicken wire
- Transparent glass beads (4mm to 8mm)
- Metal eye pins (40mm)
- Jump rings (7mm)
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Attach the wire to the frame
- The main components for this suncatcher are chicken wire and a wooden frame. We bought our chicken wire at the dollar store and used a thrifted wooden shadow box frame.Tip: You might want to wear work gloves when cutting and attaching the wire — it can be pretty vicious, and gloves will protect you from “bites”.
- First, use wire cutters to cut a piece of chicken wire that’s just a bit larger than the frame. This will make it easier to deal with.
- Line up the wire so it’s straight in the frame and then use a staple gun to attach the wire on one side. Place a staple on each section of wire.
- Then stretch the wire down and staple the opposite side, so it’s fairly taut.
- Repeat on the other two sides. Again, stretch out the wire so there’s little to no slack.
- Now cut off the excess wire that’s sticking out from the sides of the frame and use pliers to fold in the ends.You can also add hot glue to any sharp edges of the wire to ensure it won’t scratch you or your walls/windows.
Step 3: Make the charms
- Next, gather various colours and sizes of glass beads. The exact number of beads you’ll need depends on the size of your frame.(Read more about this below the tutorial.)
- Add 3 or 4 beads to a 40 mm eye pin. We added 2 orange and 1 clear here, with the largest bead in the middle.
- Cut off the excess pin, leaving about 3/8 inch above the beads.
- Use round nose pliers to make a loop above the beads.
- Repeat, making more charms in different colours.Just like with the number of beads, the exact number of charms needed will depend on the size of your frame. We made 27 beaded pins for this 6×6 inch frame.
Step 4: Add jump rings
- Use pliers to open a 7mm jump ring.
- Slide one of the charms onto the jump ring. Leave the jump ring open.
- Repeat, adding all the charms to jump rings.
Step 5: Attach the charms
- Slide one of the jump rings onto a vertical section of the chicken wire. This will let it dangle down into the open area below.
- Use two sets of pliers to close the jump ring tight.
- Repeat, adding charms until every open section is filled.
- Your chicken wire suncatcher is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Wear work gloves and be careful when cutting the chicken wire. The cut ends are very sharp, and they have a not-so-funny way of jumping out and “biting” you while you work. Use wire cutters, keep your fingers away from the sharp edges, and bend any pokey ends toward the back of the frame before hanging your suncatcher.
- Choose your beads based on the look you want. Make a rainbow suncatcher with lots of bright colours or choose a few complementary colours for a more patterned design. Clear beads are also great to include because they catch the light beautifully and help break up the brighter colours.
- This is a great project for upcycling an old picture frame. Use one you already have at home, or look for frames with character at the thrift store — that’s what we did! The dollar store is another good place to find inexpensive picture frames, especially if you want to make a few different suncatchers.
Where can I get chicken wire to make this DIY suncatcher?
You can often find small rolls of chicken wire at the dollar store, which is the least expensive option. Otherwise you can find it at the craft store or the hardware store. Hardware stores usually sell larger rolls, while dollar stores and craft stores may have smaller sheets or rolls that are easier to use for craft projects.
What type of beads are used to make a chicken wire suncatcher?
Glass beads are the best choice for a chicken wire suncatcher because they sparkle beautifully when the sunlight shines through them. We recommend using assorted glass beads in sizes from about 4 mm to 8 mm so you can create pretty little bead charms with different shapes, colours, and sizes.
Faceted acrylic beads can also work if you want a more budget-friendly option. They won’t have quite the same weight or sparkle as glass beads, but they’re less expensive and still catch the light nicely in a sunny window. You can also use larger suncatcher beads for a different look.
How many beads and charms do I need to make this suncatcher?
The number of beads and charms you need depends on the size of your frame. To give you a rough estimate of how many you’ll need, this is what we used:
- 6 x 6 inch shadow box: 27 charms with 3 beads each, for a total of 81 beads. We used 27 clear beads, 20 red beads, 18 orange beads, and 16 yellow beads.
- 5 x 7 inch dark wood frame: 20 charms with a variety of bead combinations, for a total of 77 beads. We used 23 clear beads, 22 red beads, 15 blue beads, and 17 green beads.
- 8 x 10 inch light wood frame: 45 charms with 3 beads on most charms, for a total of 136 beads. We used 55 clear beads, 22 pink beads, 21 green beads, 18 light blue beads, 7 purple beads, and 13 blue beads.
Hopefully these numbers will give you a rough estimate of how many beads, eye pins, and jump rings you’ll need. If your frame or chicken wire pattern is slightly different, lay out your bead charms before attaching them so you can calculate how many more you might need.
What tools do I need to make a chicken wire suncatcher?
You only need a couple basic tools to make this chicken wire suncatcher:
- Staple gun: For attaching the chicken wire to the back of the frame. If you don’t have one, they’re fairly inexpensive, or see if a friend has one you can borrow.
- Wire cutters: For cutting the chicken wire and eye pins. Your pliers may already have them attached.
- Pliers: Needle nose pliers are helpful for bending the wire and attaching charms. You’ll also need round nose pliers (or bail making pliers) to create the loops on top of the eye pins.
This chicken wire suncatcher is one of those projects that looks so impressive once it’s finished, especially when the sunlight starts shining through all those colourful beads. The rustic frame and sparkling bead charms make such a pretty combination, and each one turns out a little different depending on the frame, bead colours, and pattern you choose.
Hang your finished suncatcher in a bright window, on a porch, or anywhere it can catch the light. It’s a lovely way to add a bit of handmade sparkle to your space — and a great reminder that even chicken wire can look beautiful with the right finishing touch.
Here’s even more DIY suncatcher ideas:
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