DIY :: Recycled Egg Carton Mobile
if you have leftover egg cartons from decorating Easter eggs with the kids or you want a project to brighten up a place on your wall, this one is for you. try it out + let me know how it goes!
first cut off the top + the front flap of your egg carton.
cut out each egg section.
then cut small triangles out of each section to start forming the four-point flowers.
don't worry about them being perfect. the idea of these is that they look a bit more like quirky "Tim Burton" flowers than perfect ones. if you personally prefer a more polished "Martha Stewart" look, feel free to spend more time by cutting round edges on the "petals" + making it your own.
now it's time to spray paint them. i decided on colors that would go with a couple of IKEA throw pillows that i have in my bedroom. i prefer to do my decor in odd numbers, so i decided that three of the same color of each works for these (gold, pastel pink, light blue, + black).
when i spray i like to use a box to help contain the overspray and it's best to do only one color at a time.
even though the pic below shows the flowers as they would hang, i recommend starting by spraying the insides first. then once dry, turn them over + spray this way pictured (this will help eliminate seeing any obvious paint stickiness that might occur when you pull them from the box while keeping the new top of the flowers in better shape).
once you've finished painting + allowed for plenty of time to dry, it's time to add pinholes for the string we'll use to hang the flowers. i used a kabob skewer. be careful not to prick your fingers like i did. all those nerve endings in your fingers make cuts so much worse! ugh.
after you've punctured each flower, use this time to decide on your color pattern + the number of rows you want.
now it's time to string the flowers.
i'm using black twine (yarn can be a bit slippery for this project, twine has more grip). whatever color works best for your design is fine. if i end up doing this project again i think i'll grab some black + white striped twine or something a bit less plain.
cut three long pieces of twine (or the number needed for your pattern). give yourself plenty to work with as it's better for the strings to be too long at first than to have to start over because the lengths are too short. string your flowers.
set aside the flower strings, for now, as we'll come back to them in a bit.
forage outside for a twig or branch of your choosing. remember that whatever you pick will be wrapped in yarn, so the larger the branch the more time/work it will take on your part.
i loved the multiple colors of this yarn; however, you can do a solid color if you'd prefer that.
tie a double knot on the left end. beginning on either end works fine + if you'd rather do right to left, it won't alter the final look. do what you're most comfortable with.
for a stronger hold on the beginning end, i held the extra yarn and wrapped around it. i didn't want to get all the way to the end + have it unravel on me. another tip is to hold each loop to the twig as you go so the yarn remains nice + tight as you wrap.
continue along the entire base of the branch. if you're feeling ambitious you can also wrap the smaller branches.
take your time + keep the yarn wraps right next to each other for a cleaner look.
once you reach the opposite end, tie another double knot. for the knot on this end i placed the knot on the back side since i wouldn't be wrapping over this one as i did the first. this way it won't show when you hang the mobile. trim the excess yarn as close as you can without undoing the knot.
i like the look the multi-color yarn gave me without having to wrap all of those colors separately!
that's a fancy twig! it inspires me to do more projects with yarn wrapping in the future.
now it's time to add your flower strings. i placed the three strings equal distance apart (if you want two together + one further separated that's another option). tie a double knot for each one onto the yarn wrapped twig. cut off the excess as short as you can without allowing it to un-tie.
string the flowers in the pattern that you decided on earlier.
once they're in the color pattern + distance from each other you want, press down on the hole enclosing the twine tighter. that's the nice thing about using the egg carton as it's very pliant, yet holds the string twine nicely when you're ready.
be sure to hold up your mobile to see how they fall together + readjust as needed.
once you're happy with the flower placement, turn over the bottom flower on each row + tie a knot in the string then add tape to the inner bottom to secure the row.
hang your recycled mobile in its new spot and you're done!
if you try this DIY, show me the colors + patterns you've used.
i'd love to see them!