Hey everyone! Hope your Easter was lovely. We are getting back into our routine around here – me slowest of all, I think!
I have been wanting to try making window clings with colored glue and rubbing plates for a while now. I finally took the time to try it out! I did a test-run first, to make sure it worked before a) ruining all my rubbing plates and b) having to look at two disappointed little faces when it didn’t work. But, I’m happy to say, it worked great! Here are the simple steps:
1. Fill the picture part of the rubbing plate with colored glue. I just added some washable tempera to a half-full bottle of Elmer’s glue. I kind of stirred it around, but not really. I squeezed the glue onto the rubbing plate in puddles and then spread the glue with the tip of the glue bottle and a toothpick.
2. Let it dry completely — this is the hard part! I left mine overnight and it was ready this morning.
3. Carefully peel the dried glue off the rubbing plate. My four-year-old loved watching this part!
4. Go stick your new window cling on a window or mirror and enjoy!
Of course, you could get fancy and do multiple colors of glue on each one. I have already promised the girls they could make some this afternoon – they would like to make a spring scene on their closet mirrored doors using window crayons and homemade window clings. Sounds fun to me!
I love finding multiple ways to use our art supplies and rubbing plates are so versatile. I have all kinds of rubbing plates over in the Let’s Explore Shop: birds, flowers, leaves, insects, dinosaurs, animal tracks and more.
**Update: After sticking to my window for a day or so, my window clings are not “clingy” anymore! I guess they dried even more off the rubbing plate. Looks like we’ll be stringing them to hang like sun-catchers!
More fun with rubbing plates:
Very pretty!
What a cool idea!!!
Wow, I love this!
We tried to make snowflake window clings at Christmas using glue, and they were too dry to stick. Someone suggested using fabric paint instead of glue. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe that would work for your window clings. Were your rubbing plates ruined? I’d like to try this, but I definitely don’t want to ruin the rubbing plates.
Where can I find those plates? It would need to be somewhere online, I live in Italy right now. Love this idea! Do you think they have those plates with letters?
Thanks!
I’ve made a few clings with white glue and food colouring and they stick great! When they don’t, try wiping them with a damp cloth and they’ll stick again. Also, you can try a design on paper and put it under glass or hard plastic and “draw” with the glue, taking care to let the colours dry between applications. The outside can also be cut after to give it a nice clean edge.