how to make basic cotton cloud

How to Make Basic Cotton Cloud.

There are few things as relaxing and inspiring as clouds, but you can't always go outside to look at them. Make a hanging cloud to enjoy the sight of the sky anytime you’re stuck indoors.

1. Cut four equal strands of thin wire with wire cutters. How long the wires are will depend on how big you want your cloud to be. You will be folding these wires into a ring, so keep this in mind. Make sure that all of the wires are approximately the same length.

2. Twist the wires into rings. Take your first wire, and overlap the two ends by 1 inch (2.54 centimeters). Twist the ends to hold the ring together. Repeat this step for the other wires.

3. Tuck the first ring into the second one, crosswise. Hold one wire horizontally. Hold the other ring above it, vertically. Slight the vertical ring into the horizontal one halfway. Your two rings will make a cross.

4. Secure the cross with glue or wire. You can secure the crossed wires together by putting beads of hot glue on the joints between the two rings. You can also tie the joints together with some more wire. Be sure to tuck any sharp ends into the wire "orb."

5. Add the other two rings to form an X and complete your frame. Slip the third ring over your frame at a left angle. Secure it to the joints between the other rings with hot glue or more wire. Repeat this step with the fourth ring, but insert it at a right angle. These two new rings should form an X.

6. Hot glue polyester stuffing to the wire frame. Pull off a long strip of polyester stuffing. Draw a squiggle of hot glue across it, then wrap it over your frame. Make sure that it covers at least two rings.

Work quickly. Hot glue sets fast!

7. Continue hot gluing polyester stuffing to the frame. Keep doing this until most of your frame is covered. Be careful not to wrap the frame too tightly, or you will distort the cloud shape.

8. Fill in the gaps with smaller tufts of polyester stuffing. Once you have most of your cloud covered, pull out smaller tufts of polyester. Draw a swirl of hot glue onto the tuft, then press it against the cloud.

9. Fluff the cloud out. If your cloud looks too much like a ball, gently pull here and there on the tufts to bring them out. This will make your orb look more lumpy and cloud-like. Don't pull too much, however, of the polyester stuffing won't hold together.

10. Tie a piece of fishing line to your cloud. Cut a long piece of fishing line. Dig through your cloud until you find a joint between two wire rings. Tie the fishing line to the joint.

11. Attach the cloud to the ceiling. Get some tape and tape your hanging cloud to the ceiling. For a stronger hold, screw a ceiling hook into your ceiling. Tie a loop into the end of the fishing line. Slip the loop over the ceiling hook.


Things You'll Need.

Polyester stuffing.

24 gauge steel galvanized wire.

Wire cutters.

Thread or fishing line.

Tape or wall hook.


Tips.

Make a few clouds if you like the outcome; a ceiling with several clouds can look really awesome.

Consider painting your paper lantern with glow-in-the-dark paint first. Your cloud will have a subtle glow.

Don't over-fluff your cloud. If you pull on the stuffing too much, it will lose its shape and fall apart.

If you do felting, you can also make a fluffy cloud by felting a ball and putting some of the excess wool around it.

Warnings.

Polyester stuffing is flammable. Do not put clouds near any heat source (lamps, ceiling lights, etc.).