Recipe for Art - Plastic Cup Suncatchers

Sometimes during a flare or especially painful lesions, those of us with HS are stuck in a loop of depression and inactivity. Art can help us to process our feelings and reprogram our brains better than any marathon of movies or TV shows can. As I always say, art is personal, not perfect, and the goal of this piece is not perfection.

The supply list you need is very short: 9 oz. plastic cups or smaller that are semi-opaque (usually sold in multi-packs of 60- or 80-count in stores) marked with the recycling number 6, and markers. Permanent markers provide more intense colors. The recycling number 6 on the cup is very important, because any other number will cause fumes and you will of course want to avoid that. Set your oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit, have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil, and get ready to watch the magic happen!

Distracting ourselves from the pain of HS

Making these simple suncatchers allows you to create images and shapes freeform while taking time off from pain and depression caused by HS. You are limited only by your imagination and what you can color onto a cone-shaped object. Coloring is very relaxing, and this project is so inexpensive and fun that if you want to do this every day, week or month, you can! You can even make strings of themes, just punch a hole at the top of your suncatcher and string a bunch together.

This is your tiny project. This exercise will only take a few minutes; if you don't like the outcome, try again and do something different. Please be kind to the planet and recycle if you have access to that service when you are done with the cups.