Himmeli sculptures are beautifully simple geometric shapes – and it's easy to make your own. Photograph: meginsherry.etsy.com Photograph: meginsherry.etsy.com/Guardian

How to make a himmeli sculpture

This article is more than 9 years old

These intricate geometric mobiles originated in Finland, but the trend for making them has now spread across the globe. Here, the illustrator and craft blogger Rachel Basinger teaches you how to make your own

Himmeli sculptures are little geometric mobiles that were originally made as a Finnish Christmas ornaments, to be hung up in the house and on the tree.

Over the past 12 months, himmeli have been popping up everywhere on craft blogs and Pinterest, fuelled by our love of all things Nordic. A lot of bloggers and creatives have done their own take on the himmeli, working on huge, intricate designs with brass tubing or coloured straws, which are then hung strategically in lovely interiors.

Even though they look complicated, himmeli sculptures are easy to make. My tutorial is very simple, and a great place to start if you've never made a himmeli before.

All you need to begin are four coloured straws, some bakers twine (available online here) and some scissors.

Himmeli: what you will need — Image: Rachel Basinger Photograph: Rachel Basinger

Once you get the hang of this one, start to experiment with your own designs, using different materials. Brass tubing looks very impressive – you can buy it here.

We would love to see what you come up with, so please share pictures of your himmeli sculptures with via GuardianWitness – just click on the blue button. And if you've spotted an amazing one online, share a link to it in the comments below.

Have fun!

Step 1

Cut your straws into thirds. Take three pieces of your straw and thread them on to your string.

Step 2

Shape them into a triangle and tie a knot.

Step 3

Add two more pieces of straw to create a second triangle and tie.

Step 4

Repeat Step 3 until you have just one piece of straw left.

Step 5

Add on the final piece of straw and tie it to the short end.

Step 6

This is how your himmeli should now look.

Step 7

Take a piece of string and tie it through the remaining end.

Step 8

Tie the string together so you can hang you himmeli. Now sit back and admire it!

Rachel's himmeli — Homemade himmeli. Photograph: Rachel Basinger Photograph: Rachel Basinger

Rachel Basinger works as the illustrator OH NO Rachio! For more craft projects visit her blog ohnorachio.com/blog. She is hosting a himmeli workshop at the Field Day festival in London on Saturday 7 June, in conjunction with Tate Britain's Folk Art show.

Explore more on these topics

Reuse this content