Where to Put a Rainbow Suncatcher for the Most Rainbows

A prism suncatcher doesn't make light. It splits it. When direct sunlight passes through prismatic film, the light bends into its colors and lands as little rainbows on your walls, floor and ceiling. On a cloudy day, or in a window that never gets direct sun, you'll see a pretty, shimmery decal but not much color. So the whole trick is putting it where the sun actually shines through.

Start with the direction your window faces

Not sure which way a window faces? Use the compass app on your phone, or notice which windows get sun in the morning (east) and in the evening (west).

• East-facing: direct sun in the morning. Rainbows with breakfast.
• West-facing: afternoon and evening sun. Low evening light can send colors deep into a room.
• South-facing (in the Northern Hemisphere): sun for the longest stretch of the day, especially from fall through spring.
• North-facing (in the Northern Hemisphere): rarely gets direct sun, so it's the least rainbow-friendly spot.

Our listings put it simply: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so east- and west-facing windows are a great place to start. In the Southern Hemisphere, swap north and south.

Seasons change where the rainbows land

The sun sits lower in the sky in winter and higher in summer. Low winter sun reaches farther into a room, so the rainbows travel across walls and floors well away from the window. High midday summer sun comes in at a steep angle, so through a south window the colors tend to land close by, often on the sill or the floor right under the window. Mornings and evenings have low sun all year, which is why east and west windows stay reliable.

Where on the glass

• Watch the sun patch. Notice which part of the window gets sun at the times you're usually home, and put the suncatcher there.
• Go higher to throw colors farther. Light comes in at a downward angle, so a suncatcher near the top of the window sends rainbows farther into the room than one near the bottom.
• Keep the path clear. Open blinds and sheer curtains behind it. Anything between the sun and the suncatcher softens the beam.
• Try before you commit. Clings can be moved, so test a couple of spots over a sunny day.

Which rainbow maker to use where

• Rainbow window film covers a whole pane or a large area. Ours goes on with water and static cling, no glue, and can be cut to fit.
• Prism window clings are shapes you can arrange and move around. No adhesive, and they're reusable.
• Suncatcher stickers (3 inches across) have a light adhesive and work on any clear surface that gets direct sun. We don't consider them reusable like the clings, and we don't recommend them for car windows because all the colors can be distracting.

Quick checklist

1. Pick a window that gets direct sun when you're usually home.
2. Clean the glass (see how to apply window clings).
3. Place it in the sunny part of the pane, higher if you want colors across the room.
4. Move clings as the seasons change to follow the sun.