Stained 'Glass' Pumpkins

I've been searching Pinterest for the perfect mess-less arts & crafts projects... By mess-less I just mean baths aren't necessary afterwards, I'm aware that there is no such thing as a mess free project of any kind! :)

Anyways, I did come up with the perfect project by combining a couple of projects I found & the boys had a great time!

Supplies needed:

• Orange &/or yellow Tissue paper
• Construction or other scrap paper
• Clear contact paper
• Scissors
• Masking or painters tape

Instructions:

1. Cut tissue paper into 1" (ish) squares.
2. If you'd like a face, cut the shapes in the colors you'd like out of scrap construction or scrapbook paper.
3. I free hand drew a pumpkin shape on the paper side on my contact paper.
4. Next I cut a slit from the bottom edge of my contact paper to the edge of my pumpkin & then lifted the corner of the paper layer from the sticky part, just enough to get the tip of my scissors between the 2 layers.
5. I was then able to cut around the outline of my drawing with just the end of my scissors.
6. I then taped the contact paper to the table & peeled off the paper layer exposing the sticky side of the contact paper.
7. Sit the kids at the table with small amounts of the paper & let then stick it to the sticky contact paper.

If your children are anything like mine, they will most likely throw the little bits of paper in the air & all over the place, meanwhile actually sticking very few pieces to the contact paper. I just circled the table "helping" them get it on the contact paper.

We had a couple of goes at this project, the first time I let the boys rip the tissue paper, which they enjoyed & we colored on the finished products. They liked the cut pieces as well but spent more time throwing paper that time. We also did not do faces since the boys did a lot of sticking down & peeling up of the paper.

Once the boys were done, I finished covering any exposed areas of stickiness, peeled the rest of the paper layer off & stuck it to the windows in the play area :) when we are done with them in the windows I'm going to go ahead & cover the backside with contact paper & trim around the pumpkins to keep. I think it will be fun to see how these projects change or improve over the years & you could use a hole punch in the stem & hang it from a hook instead of sticking it directly to the window :)

The boys did have fun with this project & love looking at their "umpkins" in the windows & since we did some in yellow & some in orange hear them say "ellow umpkin," "orange umpkin" & since we are still working on speech hearing these words is music to my ears! :)