How to create a papercraft rainbow mobile
Keep the storm clouds at bay with our delightful April showers papercraft mobile, which features a massive rainbow to brighten up any living space!
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Create a radiant rainbow papercraft rainbow, which is sure to bring some seasonal cheer to your living space. Crafted with bright colours card, our designer has created adorable little umbrellas, raindrops and clouds to add to her mobile. This project is perfect for using up scraps from your home – you could use a cereal box to cut the rainbow from and twine from your garden shed or gift wrap stash.
We’ve added golden jingle bells to the ends of the twine, which create a gentle tinkle when a breeze catches the mobile, as well as a flash of golden light. There are some handy templates for the raindrops, clouds and umbrellas, which you can download below (see shopping list).
Shopping List:
- Raindrop, cloud, sun and umbrella templates
- White and coloured card
- Thick cardboard
- Baker’s twine
- Hole punch
- Craft wire
- Drawing compass
- Clear-drying glue
You Will Need
- Pattern paper
- Cardboard
- Baker's twine
- Craft wire
Step 1
Using a compass, draw seven arches onto a piece of thick cardboard, spacing the arches equally to create the sections of the rainbow. The overall height of the rainbow should be 27cm.
Step 2
Cut out the entire rainbow outline, then cut into three separate arches. Space the arches 2cm apart then attach a length of baker’s twine to the reverse of the arches, as shown.
Step 3
Cover both sides of the arches with coloured card to create the rainbow. Punch a hole in each end of the three arches. Thread twine through each hole and secure one end with a knot.
Step 4
Using the template, cut out six umbrella shapes from coloured card. Score and fold each piece in half then attach them together, back to back, to create an umbrella.
Step 5
Create a loop in the end of a piece of craft wire, then thread the wire through the umbrella. Bend the other end into a curve to create a handle. Repeat to create three umbrellas.
Step 6
Using the template, cut out four clouds from card. Fold each cloud in half, then glue them together around the twine. Repeat to make two more clouds for the mobile.
Step 7
Using the templates, cut out suns and raindrops from coloured card. Attach the elements to the twine, layering another sun or raindrop on the reverse to cover the twine.
Step 8
Thread the ends of the twine through the loops on the umbrellas, then secure the knot with a dab of clear glue. Add gold jingle bells to the remaining lengths of twine, to finish.
Authors
Thomas Poad is the Senior Production Editor of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine, and has worked on various papercraft titles. He has his finger on the pulse with all the latest papercraft trends, and really enjoys commissioning a variety of projects for the magazine each issue. A cardmaker himself, his favourite techniques are stamping and embossing.
