Have you checked out IKEA’s Vinduruva green houses? They are awesome! We have made fairy houses and Three Little Pig “glass” houses using them. This week I got together with a Girl Scout troop and we worked on a project to help get their outdoor art badge. They made faux stained glass greenhouses using these small structures from IKEA. (While writing this post I wasn’t able to find them online, which worries me, but I did purchase them from the IKEA- Roundrock location. They sell them in a pack of three for $9.99, I believe. I thought it would be fun to bring the outdoors in. This project introduces kids to the art of stained glass, greenhouse structures, transparency, luminescence, … and plant life.
What you need:
- Vinduruva IKEA green houses
- black electrical tape
- chalk markers
- a plant to go inside (We used succulents.)
What to do:
- Make lines with the tape to create your design.
- Color in some of the shapes with chalk markers or window markers. Leave some clear to ensure light can get in.
What is a greenhouse? A structure with a transparent roof or walls that lets light in, while controlling the climate inside to grow plants or vegetation. A miniature greenhouse is called a cold frame.
What is stained glass? Colored glass that is pieced together to create a design or picture. It is usually found in churches or mosques.
The second part of our outdoor art project:
I made a “rainbow shaped” template for the kids to decorate and cut out. This was later placed between two plastic cups (planters), to protect the drawing.