One of the best things about learning to embrace your creative side, is giving yourself the freedom to think outside the box. Sure, your ideas may "fail", but it's more about what you learn on the journey of discovery. I mean, we wouldn't even have chocolate chip cookies (gasp!) if it weren't for a happy little accident that tipped those little morsels into the cookie dough batter. Who knows what you'll discover or learn? That's half the fun!
I usually operate on a teeny weeny budget, so some of the things I try to do are challenging. I don't mind too much, and it can be fun to find out what kinds of things I can think of and create with what I have on hand. I make it a sort of game for myself. I've been working on this decoration for a while, but stopped because I'm not sure if I want to leave it as is or add a few more strands of paper leaves. If you want to make something similar I'll be including pictures of what I used and the process so you can give it a try with your own creative twist. I like decorations that dangle from the ceiling. Usually I only have those for birthday parties, but I figured, why not any holiday?
I put a new spin on a really old idea: the mobile. Not mobile phones, those other little things that usually hang over babies' cribs. Those mobiles.
Here's what I started with:
Not really all that much, huh? The embroidery hoop was probably the most expensive, but I love coupons. JoAnn's is a great place to go if you have a good coupon like 50% off a regular price item. Other craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's also usually have some decent coupons. Just make sure that the item you are getting isn't already on sale, or that the sale price is better than what you would get with your coupon.
Here's a short summary of the supplies:
Assorted paper leaves (you can purchase from my shop if you don't want to cut out your own)
Embroidery hoop (whatever size you want)
Acrylic paint (I just got the cheapest one to see how it would work)
A paintbrush
Clear stretch cord
Old Newspaper (not pictured)
Sewing needle (not pictured)
Thimble (not pictured)
Step 1: Create your space
Protect your workspace by putting down an old sheet, old newpapers, even an old piece of cardboard. Have your supplies nearby, and paper towels or an old washcloth/towel for you to wipe up spills and clean off messes.
Step 2: Separate your embroidery hoop
If you are familiar with embroidery hoops you can just skip to the next step. If you aren't really sure how they work, it's not too difficult but I know unfamiliar things sometimes make us stall. We worry we will mess something up so much we can't fix it. So, the top of your embroidery hoop has a little screw-looking thing at the top.
To separate the embroidery hoop you twist that screw slowly until the outer ring loosens up. Don't worry about taking the screw out completely, that's just a pain. You'll be able to to separate the hoops so you'll actually have two complete hoops. You could probably make two separate crafts but I decided to use both hoops because I liked the stability. Here's what the hoop looks like when it's separated:
Step 3: Paint the hoops
I made a rookie crafter mistake and got excited about painting the hoops. I painted ALL the edges/sides at once. Well, it did stick to the newspaper and I had to then repaint one side of each hoop. So, you can paint everything except for one rim that you will set it down on for drying. Drying time depends upon the atmosphere and humidity in your home. Just leave it for a day and you should be more than fine to flip it over and paint the remaining side.
Now, before we move onto the next step a word about paintbrushes. As you can see from the picture, the edges of these hoops are fairly thin. I decided to use all one color on them, but you can make them any way you want. No matter how you decide to paint it, I highly recommend you use a flat brush, not a round one. Round ones are more difficult to control and with this type of project may be prone to creating little globules of paint on your project.
It's tricky to see because of the angle of the picture, and because my craft table is white, but not only is this paintbrush edge angled, it also tapers toward the end of the bristles. The bristles are firm, but soft. Coarse bristles leave more defined brush marks (like tiny skid marks) when you're painting on wood or hard surfaces. Not good. If the bristles are too soft (they don't really hold up if you put a slight amount of pressure on them) then you have a hard time controlling where the paint goes. Also not good. The thin tapered bristles also would have allowed me to paint a contrasting color on the edges with much more precision.
So, if you have trouble with paint projects, it could just be the type of brush you are using. You can purchase brushes in sets, or individually at stores like Michael's and JoAnn's.
I used one small container of acrylic paint. It goes a very long way, and I believe I used only a couple of coats of the paint. Small acrylic paints can be picked up on sale for around $1 sometimes.
This container is about 2 fluid ounces, so not much liquid at all. I've never tried this brand before, it could just be a store-brand. It worked fine though, but other brands may only need one coat of paint instead of two. Not really a big deal. This little bottle could paint a ton of hoops, so no problem.
Step 4: String the leaves
Grab the clear jewelry stretch cord, a sewing needle, a thimble or just something you can safely use to poke a small hole in each leaf. I'd recommend doing one leaf at a time. I wanted to make my leaves look a bit like they were falling, so I changed where I put the needle through occasionally. Figure out how long you want the strand to be, and leave extra cord for tying to the hoop before you cut the stretch cord. This is where the thimble may come in handy. You can support the needle with the thimble on a finger or thumb and use it to puncture the paper much more easily.
Once I got a leaf where I wanted it, I tied a knot in the stretch cord so the leaf could rest on it without sliding down the cord. I did use some hot glue on a couple of them to make them stay because the stretch cord has a tendency to try and come untied which just annoyed me.
It's difficult to see because the stretch cord is clear, but this is just a little knot at the bottom side of the leaf to hold it up.
Once you've put as many leaves as you want on a string, you just tie it to the inner hoop (the one without the screw on it). You continue that until you have as many strands as you want on the hoop. When you're done with that, it's time for the last steps.
Step 5: Add the stretch cord to hang up your mobile
I wanted this mobile to give the illusion of floating and falling leaves. I decided to use the clear stretch cord as the way to hang it up on my ceiling. This needs to be a bit more precise than anything else so far. If you want it to hang straight, I'd recommend tying at least three clear strands onto the inner or outer ring (outer just seems to be better for balance). The three strands should basically form the points of a triangle when you place them.
Putting at least three strands helps the mobile remain stable as it hangs, instead of twisting or wobbling. Once those three strands are on the hoop you can put both hoops back together. If you have paint with a matte finish, it can chip off if you aren't careful. Put the hoops together slowly (make sure they are as loosened up as possible without taking the screw out. once they are back in place where you want them, tighten the screw until the two wooden pieces no longer shift when you press lightly on the different pieces.
Now it's time to measure the length of your stretch cords from the top of the hoop, and before you cut them down to exact measurement, just pinch them together (or use a twisty-tie or rubber band) so you can hold it by that point and see how it will hang once it's hung up. If it wobbles or one side is lower than the other, adjust the lengths of the cords as necessary. You can then just tie a knot with a loop and hang it up with a hook or perhaps a tack.
If it's hanging the way you want, you can add some hot glue to keep the stretch cord from trying to come untied, or just keep a rubber band around the knot. If you're familiar with jewelry-making, you may have some ideas about making the hanging look more polished. I have yet to tackle that particular craft.
Here's how my project turned out:
I wanted a tiered look, so I varied the length of my leaf strands. Now I just need to figure out how far I want it from the ceiling and I may just have it up in time to take it down for Christmas decorations.
If you decide to try your own version of this craft and want to share, feel free to post pictures of it in the comments, or tag me on Instagram (shaycraftycove) with #myMobile and flaunt your creative stuff!
Now, I have to go think of a Winter themed mobile, and maybe add some sparkle to it. Have a great day!
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