sun prints : diy

Summertime is my personal fav time of year, so I decided it was time to re-cap one of my most popular all-time DIY projects, just in time for the summer SUN. 

The sunprints I made several years ago have decorated photo sets, furniture showrooms, and of course several different rooms + corners of my home. They are a fun craft to do with kids (of any age). It's like magic.

Here's the step-by-step HOW-TO:

Step 1 – Gather the items you need

- Sun Print paper (I got mine from here)
- An acrylic sheet (the Amazon sunprints come with one in the package)
- Cardboard or paper towel
- A tub of cool water (the kitchen sink will do)
- Interesting shapes + objects from nature (branches, shells, etc)

Step 2 – Arrange nature elements on a piece of sun paper out of the sunlight.

For best results, arrange your objects on the paper in a dark space indoors (I used a pantry closet).Direct sunlight causes quick exposure of the paper, so you want your elements arranged before you bring it outside.

Step 3 – Place an acrylic sheet (ie: plexiglass) on top to flatten and hold your items in place on the paper.
Once your items are placed on the paper, cover them with an acrylic sheet to keep them secure as you Use an acrylic sheet when making prints of flat or almost-flat objects to help sharpen the edges between blue and white in your print. Ambient sunlight outdoors will find its way underneath the edges of your objects if they are not pressed firmly to the paper, and you will get sun prints with blended contrasts.

Step 4 – Take your sun print composition outside and place it in direct sunlight for 2-5 minutes.
The areas of the paper exposed to the sun will fade from blue to white. When you see most of the color disappear from the paper, your print has been fully exposed. If no direct sunlight is available, don’t worry – just expose your print a little longer and wait for the same fading effect. Under cloud cover, the process will take 5-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the clouds.

Step 5 – Rinse your paper in cool water. Watch the white turn into blue and the blue turn into white.
It’s magical! To get the deepest blue, leave the paper in the water for a while: 1-5 minutes. 

Step 6 – Lay your sun print flatly on paper towel or cardboard and allow it to dry.
Putting it on something absorbent will help to avoid the formation of water spots by drawing the water away from the sun print paper. By the time the water has dried, you will have a vibrant blue sun print! 

(link here for the sun print paper from Amazon)...

It's the perfect DIY craft project for Summer. 

Read more of the how-to here. 

I hope you're enjoying the season! Comment below + share your favorite summer pastime.

xo

patti

diy: sun prints

I recently styled a photo shoot for Young America, highlighting new additions to their "My Haven" youth bedroom furniture collection. 

I wanted to add some DIY decorative accents to the room scenes to inspire parents + kids to create their own one-of-a-kind decor.

So... to create an inspirational room for a sun-loving teen girl, I started by selecting a color palette of sea blues + greens...then I crafted some sun prints using elements from nature & sun print paper like this Sun Print Kit from Amazon (click here for the link).

Here's the finished result of my sun print crafting + on-set photo styling...

Click here to get your sun print paper to make your own...

{link here to get your Sun Art Paper on Amazon}

I framed the prints in white and added some dimension by incorporating umbra Loft Twig Wall Art purchased at Target (you can find umbra wall flowers here). I also added beachy elements + a surfboard. The walls are painted in benjamin moore Sea Mist Green.

{The completed room...Cool for any surf-lovin' girl.}

{Styled by patti borrelli + photographed by diana parrish photography & design

for young america}

The DIY how-to:

The sun art kit came with easy step-by-step instructions.  My first attempt flopped, but after reading the directions a little more carefully (& listening to my daughter's advice) I went to a "dark room" (my pantry) to place the items on the sun print paper & cover with the acrylic sheet.  I chose natural items like sea-stars, shells, stems & flowers. Then, I placed the paper in the sun for 5 minutes, removed the items & rinsed paper in cold water with a little lemon juice ... & wallah... magic.  The images appeared, crisp & clear.  I love the deep indigo color & the wispy shapes the branches, leaves & flowers create.

Here are some shots of the sun prints in the making...

first attempt failed. images were very faint.

2nd attempt- Success! images sharp & artful.

More detailed steps are posted on the young america blog.

...Here are two more images I found that show even more ways to display your very own DIY sun prints...

{via sweetpaulmag}

{via apartment therapy}

{diy pinterest-BeSoStyle}

Here's to sunshine + more fun DIY projects on the horizon.

xo

patti