Make a Yarn Chandelier - Inspiration and Ideas

Posted by Susan Caplan Aug 4, 2009

While making yarn chandeliers with a group of kids, they wanted to know where I got the idea not just for that project but all the different projects we did during the week. I explained that some of the projects came from books while others I found on the Internet. I also told them that I tended to “tweak” projects. I do the same for the for the craft projects I feature in articles.

In some cases, I change the craft to make it either more or less complicated, depending on the age of the children I’m working with. In other cases, I change some of the materials used in the plan, creating a different result. Sometimes, the same project gets used in different ways – crayon rubbings done with leaves may become the backdrop for a poem, may get cut out and used in a collage, or may become a wreath or mask.

The yarn “chandeliers” I was making with my class were inspired by a hanging Mother’s Day table decoration I saw in Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. The example in the magazine used seam binding and the effect was very elegant. I decided to go for decorative chaos by pulling out the yarn stash and combining color and texture of plain acrylic yarn with some of those fuzzy novelty yarns.

I kept down costs by cutting out the center of plastic lids, keeping the sturdy rim. For a more polished result, go to the craft store for a large metal ring, like what would be used for a dream catcher. You could also use an embroidery hoop – the inner and outer parts will give you two hoops.

Cut up a bunch of yarn from twelve inches to twenty-four inches, depending on the size hoop you are using. Use at least four-to-six strands of each type of yarn. Pieces that dangle approximately twelve inches from the hoop are decorative without the worries of the yarn tangling. You’ll want to cut the yarn twice as long as you want it to hang. Don’t worry about every piece being the exact same length.

You’ll attach the yarn to whatever you are using as your hoop with a slip knot. Fold a piece of yarn in half. Hold the loop behind the hoop. Pick up the tails and pull them through the loop of yarn. Pull tight. Add the next piece of yarn. Continue until done. You can create a pattern that repeats four-to-six times around the loop. Space out the strands of yarn – it isn’t necessary for the pieces to completely cover the loop.

Tie the ends of one piece of yarn on opposite sides of the hoop so the piece is balanced. The length of yarn used will determine where the chandelier will hang. Hang from a hook inserted in the ceiling or dangle beneath a ceiling light or fan. Hang the piece over a table or over a child’s bed.

Adapting directions for craft projects allows you to personalize the end results. Create a fun yarn “chandelier” using holiday or favorite colors to hang over a table.