Making a Mobile with Canson paper and thin birch wood sticks: Birds and clouds

Paper art Step by Step

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Level: beginner

Estimated time: 3 hours

Author: Louise Heugel

www.louiseheugel.com

What could be more airy than a sky full of birds and clouds to create a hanging mobile? The fineness of the paper and the birch wood sticks will allow your mobile to twirl delicately in the air, giving a subtle poetic touch to your interior!

Material:

Papers: Papier Canson^® Colorline^® 220 gsm or 300 gsm, in four different colours.
Pencils:a HB pencil.
Accessories: an X-acto (precision knife) and spare blades, 6 thin birch wood sticks - 3 mm in diameter and 40 cm in length, a spool of 0.30 mm copper wire, fishing line, scissors and a cutting board.

1. Start making the frame for your mobile.

Take two thin birch wood sticks and tie them crosswise using copper wire.
Copper wire is very flexible, simply wind it generously around the sticks in all directions and finish with a knot.
No need to use a pliers to cut it, you can use scissors.
Repeat this process twice to create 3 birch wood crosses.

2. Building the frame.

Again with copper wire, tie your three crosses together to create a lattice of crosses.

3. Cutting out the clouds.

With your pencil, draw a small cloud approximately 8 cm long by 5 cm wide and cut it out accurately using the X-acto, leaning on the cutting board.

Cut out 11 more clouds in various colours, so you have 12 in all.

4. Cut slits in the clouds.

Using the X-acto, cut two 2 cm vertical slits with a 3 cm gap between them.

5. Fixing the clouds to the frame.

Take a cloud and slide it onto one end of the frame. Repeat with the 11 other clouds. Alternate colours to create rhythm.

6. Cutting out the three birds.

Each bird is made of two parts: the body and the wing. Draw these shapes on the various papers choosing two colours per bird and cut them out carefully with the X-acto.

7. Assembling your birds.

Cut horizontal slits with the X-acto in the centre of the birds' bodies and slide the wings into these.

With the tip of the X-acto, cut a small hole in the top of the birds' bodies. Pass the fishing line through this hole and tie a knot in it. Use approximately 50 cm of line per bird.

8. Hanging the birds onto the frame.

Fix the three birds to the three central intersections of the frame. Then all you have to do is hang your mobile up using another piece of line in the middle of the frame.

Tip: To avoid the birds overlapping and becoming entangled, tie them at different heights. Create a balance between the three birds so that the mobile can twirl easily.