It’s raining, it’s pouring the old man is snoring!  This fun project is a nifty kid’s craft that’s perfect for rainy days.  It will be raining inside and out with this cute rainy day window picture.  Use the background picture provided, or color your own.  You can even use a coloring book page for the background, or, take a picture of yourself and put yourself in the rain.   There are two versions of this project.  One uses a Ziploc bag, and one uses a laminating pouch to hold the water.

 

What you'll need:

• 12 x 18” piece of Construction paper any color

• 8 ½ piece of paper with picture (use our background picture, or use your own)

• Window  pattern

• 2 milkshake straws

• 2 metal paper fasteners

• Tape

• 1 heavy-duty quart-size Ziploc bag / or / 9 x 12” laminating pouch

• Rain solution:  (1 tablespoon water/1 tablespoon Salad Oil/1 drop blue food coloring)

• Scissors

• Glue Stick

• 1 sheet of craft felt – any color

• Optional:  Photo  of child

How to make it (With a Ziploc bag)

1. Choose a 12 x 18-inch piece of paper to be the background for your picture and fold it in half.  Use your window pattern and cut out the windowpanes from one side of the folded paper centering it on the half created by the fold. 

2. Print and color your background picture – or, make your own picture for the background.  You can even put yourself in the picture with a photo.  Tape your picture to the non-window pane side of the construction paper so that when you fold the paper up your picture is displayed in the window.

3. Into your Ziploc bag add your rain solution removing excess air and making sure your bag is properly zipped.  Tape your Ziploc bag full of rain zipper side up onto your picture.  Cover the opposite side of your windowpane with a glue stick and fold it on top of your Ziploc bag using your fingertips to seal the two papers together.

4. To make curtains, take your two milkshake straws and make a slit down one end so that you can insert one straw into the other.  Tape the two straws together.  Cut the straw to 12” long.   Carefully make a hole in both ends of the straw and hold it up to the top of your window.  Use a pencil to make a mark where the two holes are in the straw.  This will be your curtain rod.  Use your paper punch to make two holes in the windowpane to hold your curtain rod. 

 

How To Make it (With a Laminating Sheet):

1. For this version, take 2 – 8 ½  x 11” pieces of cardstock and on one, cut out the windowpane sections using the pattern provided and laminate.  On the other piece of cardstock, mount your picture. 

2. To make your water section you will need a  9 x 12 laminating pouch and a 3” x 12” piece of construction paper.  On a flat surface lay out a wooden cutting board.  Place your laminating pouch on the cutting board.  One at a time, place your construction paper strip along the 12” sections and use an iron to press along the construction paper strip.  This should seal these two sides of the laminating pouch.  Be careful not to iron directly on the laminating pouch.  Once the two sides are sealed, open up the remaining unsealed end and pour in your water solution.  Carefully lay your pouch back on the cutting board and cover the remaining end with the construction paper strip.  Use your iron to seal this last end.    Lay the sealed water pouch on top of the picture and tape or staple it into place – make sure that you only staple on the sealed sections so you do not create a leak. 

3. Lay the Windowpane section on top of the water/picture section and tape it into place.

4. To make curtains, take your two milkshake straws and make a slit down one end so that you can insert one straw into the other.  Tape the two straws together.  Cut the straw to 12” long.   Carefully make a hole in both ends of the straw and hold it up to the top of your window.  Use a pencil to make a mark where the two holes are in the straw.  This will be your curtain rod.  Use your paper punch to make two holes in the windowpane to hold your curtain rod. 

5. Take your felt sheet and cut it in half in the center - in the center of the long side.  Use your paper punch and make 5-6 holes at the top of your felt along the short end.  If you do not have a heavy-duty hoe punch you can use your scissors to create slits at the tops of your curtains.  Thread the curtains onto the curtain rod.  Use your metal paper fastener through both holes in the straws and into the paper windowpane, turning the paper over and separating the fastener.  To tie back the curtains, take a pipe cleaner and cut it in half, twisting it around the center of each curtain

 

That’s it, what a fun weather window for a rainy day!