Making sun prints can be fun for kids. You can make sun prints either with regular construction paper or sun print paper. Sun print paper is photographic paper that is highly sensitive to light. When you expose the blue paper to the sun, it starts turning white almost immediately. So don’t take it out of the packet until you’ve got your leaves ready. Choose leaves with interesting shapes.
Take the sun print paper out and place the leaves on top. Don’t do this on a windy day, or your leaves will blow off. You can place a small rock on top of the leaves to keep them from flying away. Within an hour, your sun print is done.
If you are using cheap construction paper, it will take all day instead of one hour. Set the dark-colored construction paper out in the sun. Place your leaves on the paper, with rocks on top. Check it at the end of the day. The shadow covered by the leaf will be dark, while the rest of the paper will be much lighter.
What a great summer project. I can see us with a whole gallery! But, where do you get sun paper?
I bought it at a teacher supply store for $2.99 for a packet of 12 sheets. It was called “Sunprint Refill Kit.” You can probably google it and order it online.
Just stumble in your post and love it! But please tell me how your sun print works on the contrary. I mean: the image is in blue, not white image and blue background.
The paper was blue when we began. The sun bleached the paper white, except for what was under the object.
Oh, I love this idea! We’ve got lots of old construction paper, so it sounds like it would be worth a try!
Yes, it’s so easy and fun!