I’m so in love with this ribbon chandelier that the kids and I made together in art camp. I’ve been wanting to make one for a year, ever since I saw this one on Pinterest made with fabric strips. A few weeks ago, I was teaching a week of art camp centered around fabric and textiles, and it occurred to me… this project would be perfect for collaboration! The kids were ages five, six and seven. They would totally be able to do this!
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SUPPLIES:
~ 60 ribbon pieces, cut to 42″ lengths. I’ve been collecting ribbon for years, so I didn’t need to buy any for this project, but Amazon has good ribbon if you want to buy online. Start with polka dot grosgrain
~ 14″ wooden embroidery hoop
~ Yarn
~ Pom-pom makers
~ Good scissors
PROCESS:
~ First, I laid out the 60 pieces of ribbon in a beautiful pile on the table, along with the big wooden hoop.
~ Then we talked about the word chandelier. A few kids had seen one before, and one little girl even had a fancy crystal chandelier in her house.
~ Next, I showed them how to tie the ribbon. They all sort of looked at me, like…huh? It was really hard to conceptualize what this finished piece would look like for them. But, because they are kids and open to anything, they just started tying. Some kids were done after one and went back to the coloring table. But two kids in particular, one five and one six, tied almost every single ribbon. It was amazing to watch. They were completely in the flow. You could hear a pin drop.
~ After the kids went home, I got busy making pom-poms. I thought that the pom-pom part wouldn’t be fun for them if they couldn’t take the pom-poms home. And I sort of have a love affair with making them… so this was my part! I love using pom-pom makers, but you can make them any way you want. Make sure to leave the long tail when trimming!
~ Lastly, after you have made all of your pom-poms (I made about 20 but ended up using 18), tie them onto the hoop with a double knot. That’s it, you’re done!
The best part…I get to keep this forever! It is the happiest part of my living room right now. ♡
xo, Bar
It’s so so good!!!! I am totally making mini versions of this with my art class and a reggio version in our art studio. Totally inspired! LOVE this!!! Thanks Bar!
how did I miss this? thank you meri!!!! can’t wait to see your versions 🙂 xo
Hi Bar,
I want to make this lovely chandelier with my daughter and was wondering if you have any tips for hanging it. It feels like one of those things that would be hard to center.
Thank you!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, What I did was use fishing wire and tied one piece to the top of the hoop going across one way, and another across the opposite way – sort of forming an X. Then it’s easy to find the balancing point and hang it on a small ceiling hook. I hope this helps! ~ Bar