Today we are going to learn how to make paper lace and then turn it into a lovely mobile!

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Simple projects that look like they took hours to make are my favorite kind! The Paper Lace Mobile above looks very complicated but the reality is you can make it in about 30 minutes….shhhhh don’t tell anyone….

The idea for the Paper Lace Mobile originated when I made paper lace following instructions from The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery. I loved the look of the paper lace but couldn’t figure out a good way to show it off. Then I realized paper lace would make a fabulous hanging mobile. I can see these as party decor or a quick little project to brighten up a baby or child’s room.

Full Tutorial:

Quick Tutorial

@babbledabbledo Learn how to make paper lace from a sheet of paper! #paper #papercraft #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound – Babble Dabble Do

Basic Paper Lace

Materials

For the paper lace:

• Template OR Origami Paper or colored paper cut into squares
• Scissors

For the mobile:

• Embroidery Hoop
• Tape
• String or Ribbon for hanging the mobile
• Colored Tape to decorate the embroidery hoop

Instructions

Make the Square Paper Lace with the Template A

• Cut along trim line to make square piece of paper.
• Fold along one diagonal line to create a triangle. 
• Fold again along second diagonal to make a smaller triangle.
• Cut slits shown as solid lines on template.
• Carefully unfold your paper as flat as possible. 
• Pinch the center and pull up to reveal the lace!

Make the Circular Paper Lace with the Template B

• Fold paper in half along long dashed line.
• Fold paper along second shorter dashed line.
• Cut along solid line to make a quarter circle.
• Cut slits shown as solid lines on template.
• Carefully unfold your paper as flat as possible. 
• Pinch the center and pull up to reveal the lace!

No template? Follow these steps to make paper lace:

• Begin by folding one of your sheets of paper diagonally to create a triangle. Fold it again diagonally to make a smaller triangle.
• Using the cutting template above for reference, cut slits across the triangle, alternating the side you are cutting, kind of like a maze. Stop cutting about 1/4″ from the edge of the paper. I left about 1/2″ in between slits. No need to be precise with this; I eyeballed the cut lines.
• Carefully unfold your paper. The cut edges will want to stick together so don’t unfold it too quickly or you will rip the paper.
• Pinch the center two triangles together and pull up on the paper to unfurl the lace. You will also need to gently tug on the bottom of the lace.

Turn it into a mobile

• Make a total of 6 paper lace pieces. You can fold and cut two sheets at a time to make the process faster
• Open your embroidery hoop. Make six equidistant marks around the circle.
• Tape the pinched center of one of your paper lace pieces to the outside edge of the inner embroidery hoop ring.
• Repeat taping step with your other paper lace pieces.
•  Cut three lengths of ribbon from which to hang your mobile. I cut mine about 18″ long.
• Tape one end of each ribbon piece to the inner embroidery hoop ring at three equidistant spaces around the circle.
• Fit the outer ring of the embroidery hoop around the inner ring. Tighten.

• Gather the three ribbon pieces at the top and tie into a knot with a loop OR tie a knot around a book ring to hang the mobile from.
• (Optional) Add tape to the outer (and inner) rings of the embroidery hoop to dress it up a little. I used bright yellow electrical tape on mine. Be careful when applying the tape, though, you don’t want it to stick to your paper lace!
• It’s time to hang your mobile! Gently tug on the ends of the paper lace to unfurl them again. At first the paper may not want to hang well so you may want to temporarily add a couple of paper clips or book rings to the bottoms of each paper lace section to weigh them down. If you use paper clips leave them overnight on the paper. If you use the book rings, about 30 minutes should be enough, if you leave them too long they will pull the paper lace too much and it will look droopy.

Here is our finished mobile, complete with a behind the scenes shot of my son in our “photo studio” AKA breakfast nook with white foam core backdrop!

Then we moved the mobile into the bedroom for the baby’s viewing pleasure!