Painting plastic sun catchers - gel paint vs. regular glass paint?

[klmama]

I'm in charge of crafts for kids at an outdoor event. I thought sun catchers would be good, as the party will be long and they'll have time to dry a while before everyone heads home. I went to Michael's before supper. Simple enough, usually, but today I was brain dead and the staff at Michael's wasn't particularly helpful. So, here I am hoping some of you will share your wisdom!!!

 

I couldn't decide if it would be better to get the regular glass paint or the gel paint with glitter. (Which spreads better, looks better, etc.?) I couldn't decide if I should get the paint in the little mini-tubs that are connected in a row (and if I get that kind, should I go with brushes or with eye droppers) or if I should get the 1 oz. bottles with the squeeze tip. I ended up buying it all, knowing I'll just return whatever you all tell me isn't as good. So, .... please tell me!!!! :)

[klmama]

I realize it isn't a huge deal, but this paint is expensive, and I don't want to open more than I need. There will be about 15-20 kids painting these sun catchers. Which kind of paint works better? How many 3-4" sun catchers can be painted with the little sets of paint tubs? Anyone?

[Guest Kraftylady]

Hi, I own a business creating thematic craft packs for children and homeschoolers. Several of my kits have suncatchers. I have found that I prefer the strips of plain suncatcher paint. The glitter gels do not end up having much color to them and often require several coats (which it doesn't sound like you have time for). As well, some glitter ones are actually just regular paints that you have to add a packet of glitter to, time consuming and can be a mess.

I would recommend paintbrushes, for younger children drawing up an accurate amount of fluid into a dropper can be tricky. Have a few large cups of water to rinse brushes in when they want to change colors. (A great product I use at home is a plastic paint cup with a lid that has a small cone shaped opening. The kids can dip in their brush and pull it out against the opening to get off extra water. They are also heavier and less likely to tip over). Provide a paper towel for each child so they can dry their brush before they start a new color.

One more tip, if a color ends up in an area the child doesn't want it, roll a small piece of paper towel into a point and dip it into the unwanted paint. The unwanted color should wick up into the paper towel. As far as how many suncatchers can be painted with each strip, I would think at least 3 per strip (unless they are especially large.)

I hope your projects turn out well. If you ever have an event like this again, feel free to visit www.kidscraftfun.com to check out my products. I do Krafty Kid Packs, however I also create "classpacks" featuring several of the same craft project.

[klmama]

I knew someone here had to know the answer! I appreciate you taking the time to help!