DIY Easy, Breezy Cardboard Rainbow Mobile (Template included)

Rainbows have been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it has to do with landmark Supreme court ruling?  Or maybe it's just because I've been kinda sick and they make me feel happy.  Hrmm... probably a bit of both reasons, I suspect.  Here on the blog, I've shared a full spectrum of rainbow crafts.  They're colorful, fun, and always put a smile on people's faces.  Today I'm sharing this easy, breezy cardboard rainbow mobile that I whipped up a couple of nights ago.

I really love how it moves in the air.

Cardboard Rainbow Mobile    

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Ooh!  Before we start, here's a quick video showing the cardboard mobile moving in the breeze!


DIY Cardboard Rainbow Mobile from Pink Stripey Socks on Vimeo.

(I was so stokked to see it moving all by itself.  It's always exciting when one of my crafts works out!)

Materials Needed:

• Clean Cardboard (Cereal box and corrugated)
• Skewer
• String  (Mine was a thick Bakers thread)
• Paint (I used acrylic paint)
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Beads 

Let's make a Cardboard Rainbow Mobile:

1.  Make a template for your cardboard rainbow mobile.  (Or, you can just use my rainbow mobile template.)    I sketched out 1/2 a circle onto a piece of cereal box cardboard.  Then, I divided it into 3 arches and then cut the arches out.  Then, I trimmed the pieces smaller so that they would be able to move around. (You could also do an arch for each color, but I felt this way made the craft a lot easier!)

  

2.  Trace your pieces onto a piece of cardboard. Make sure that the holes in the corrugated cardboard run vertically through your arches, so you can pass string through them.  

(See the holes in the cardboard below? You're going to poke your string through those!)

Then, paint each arch 2 different colors.  (My red and orange look quite similar.  Oh well. No biggie.)  Make sure to paint both sides of your cardboard because your mobile will move! 

3. Cut a piece of string.  Use a skewer to push it through your biggest arch.  Then, double knot the string.  Then, push it through your second (yellow/green) arch using the skewer. (You can just push it through using brute force, or tape the string to a skewer or toothpick and make yourself a "needle.")    Double knot it the arch in place again.  Then, push it through your smallest (blue/purple) arch.  Double knot it in place.  

4.  Add any beads and and then tie your string.

I hope you have a lot of fun trying the easy and beautiful craft out with the kiddos!

If you liked this craft, you'll probably also like

• Painted Twig Wall Hanging
• Calder Inspired Paper Sculptures
• Cardboard "bead" necklaces
• Climbing Cardboard Circus Men Toys
• Woven CD Dream Catchers

Let's keep in Contact!

You can always find  fun ideas on my Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts!  (Or subscribe to my email mailing list by filling out the pink bar at the top of your screen.)

Happy making, friends!