DIY Scandinavian paper mobile

The bloom of color and flowers from Spring to Summer is just magical, if you take time to really watch it. Combined with the whimsy that any hanging element brings to a room, I was interested in exploring bringing the two together. I’ve long been inspired by the mobiles of Kiki Smith and Alexander Calder, from their lightness, balance and use of color. I wanted to create a mobile that combined Scandinavian floral patterns with the simple beauty of mobiles.

1. Clip floral wire to length provided on template.

2. Use template as stencil to shape wire. Gentle pinches every few millimeters allows for soft curves, folding around a finger creates a more severe curve, and pinching around a needle nose plier creates a sharp point for a leaf. 

3. After following the shape of a leaf or flower on the template, wrap the wire around itself to complete and close shape.

4. Tear pieces of paper to 1 inch squares and strips. Variations of torn shape will allow for flexibility in covering the wire shapes.

5. Make a half and half mix of water and elmer’s glue, and stir together.

6. Dip paper into glue mix, wipe off excess. Lay over wire shape, gently fold around wire, covering completely.

7. Set aside to dry for a few hours.

8. Grab your favorite acrylic paints, add some water for a softer watercolor effect, or use straight paint for an opaque treatment. 

9. Thread a sharp needle, double thread and knot at the end. 

10. Punch needle through paper of first petal and pull through completely, tying thread in a loop to suspend. Then pull string through the next piece to suspend petal from, allowing an inch or two of string between, knot and trim.

11. Shapes can be played out to vary composition and personalize scale and quantity preferred.

12. Cut two wood dowel pieces to 18 inches in length, tie together at middle sections to create an X.

13. Tie petal and leaf tendrils to dowels. To balance out the X if it hangs crooked, just slide the tendrils side to side until the dowels level out.