Anyone else crazy abut the rainbow trend for interiors? I just love that these simple colourful arches are making their way into our homes in all sorts of ways and especially that you can find them now in alternative “rainbow colours.” I’ve really never liked the traditional red/orange/yellow/green/blue/violet colour scheme mostly because… I hate orange! Like really don’t like the colour… at all. Anyone else have such an extreme aversion to a colour?
Anyways, who says you have to stick to the rules when it comes to fun, fancy, handmade rainbows? Not me!
Here’s a little DIY to try, and it includes some of my favourite skills: painting and pom-poms.
What you’ll need:
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Rainbow & Cloud Mobile Pack (comes in a pack with two shapes: rainbow and cloud) —> pre-drilled by me! So you’re ready to go and don’t have to faff with the drill.
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Strong string or embroidery floss (this comes in the pack)
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Pom-pom yarn (I used an assortment of yarns from my stash, see notes below on which yarns/colours I used)
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Assorted acrylic paints
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Darning needle
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Paintbrushes
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Scissors
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Loome tool (for making your pom-poms of course!)
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PVA glue
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Optional: seed beads
These are some of the colours I used for my pom-poms
Let’s get started!
1. Paint your rainbow
The first time I attempted this, I painted my rainbow freehand but didn't really like the effect because it was uneven. So I painting over it in white, and painted it again, first lightly drawing in the arches with pencil. When working with acrylics over wood, a white primer base will definitely help your colours POP, especially if you’re using lighter shades and neons.
If you want brighter and more opaque colours, mix them with the slightest amount of white paint. This is also a good tip when using cheaper quality paints (which I’m not knocking! I love buying paints from Flying Tiger because they have the coolest colours, they just don’t cover the way artist-quality paints do).
Choose how many colours you want in your rainbow and measure out the bands along the bottom, in the middle and at the two mid-way points. I wanted 5 colours so I made marks along the rainbow about 1.4cm apart from each other. Then I very lightly sketched the lines so that I knew where to paint.
Now get painting! Once you’re finished (it might need a second coat on some colours) set it aside to dry while you make your pom-poms.
2. Get your Loome tool ready and choose which colour pom-poms you’re going to make
I love the Robot model for pom-poms because it has the two different sizes. I used the smaller end primarily for these pom-poms and I even used a fork to make the teeny tiny pom-poms! If you’ve never made a pom-pom with a Loome tool before, check out my previous post, How to make a pom-pom.
3. Attach the strings to the mobile
Now it’s time to add the strings to your wooden rainbow. Cut 6 pieces of strong string that are 40cm long. Tie three strings together with a knot at the top and thread each strand through a hole from the back. Do the same for the other side of the rainbow. Cut another piece that is 20cm long for the loop at the top.
For the cloud, cut 5 pieces that are 40cm long and thread them through from the back. The knot should always be centred and the weight of the pom-poms will keep the strings in place so there's no need for glue. Here’s a photo of what that looks like from the back. Because the pom-poms will pull the strings tight, you don’t really need to fix it in any other way.
4. Plan out where to place the pom-poms
Lay out your pom-poms so you have an idea where to thread them on and then use a blunt darning needle to thread the strong string though the middle of the pom-poms.
When threading pom-poms to hang completely in the middle of a string, first look for the middle string on your pom-pom. Then thread the needle completely in the centre of this, so that the middle string runs perpendicular to the needle. To secure your pom-poms in place, either tie a knot and add a drop of glue under each pom-pom or thread a small bead under each one and glue the bead in place. This will stop the pom-poms from sliding down.
5. Trim the strings
Once the glue is dry, trim the strings short underneath and attach a small loop to the top of your mobile to hang it up.
Some things used in this tutorial were gifted by Rico Designs: the wooden rainbow and cloud mobile pieces (but I loved them so much I purchased some for the shop) and six balls of yarn to use for the pom-poms.