Ellie’s room update is underway. We picked a butterfly theme and lightened the colors, but she really wanted rainbows, too. I had to deliver. I found an adorable rainbow print on Etsy with pink coloring, which gave me an idea to do a rope rainbow for some texture on her wall. Here’s how you can make one for under $20.
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Step 1: Gather Materials
To start, you’ll need to determine the size you’d like the rainbow to be. You can make one as small as 8 inches across using narrow rope, or a larger wall piece. For mine, I wanted it to be larger (about 16 inches in diameter). I factored (um, pretty much guessed) two 6 foot lengths of 1/2 inch crafting rope to create 6 rainbow rows. I also found four yarn colors and a cute small piece of fabric that matched her room colors.
Step 2: Cut and Protect Rope
After I did my detailed math (more like guessed!), I cut my rope into lengths and shaped them together. As I cut, I used blue tape to protect the ends from unraveling as I worked to add the color.
Step 3: Cut wire and wrap
After I had my lengths cut and laid out, I found some low gauge craft wire to cut along the ropes to help me keep the form once the yarn and fabric were added. I cut the wire shorter than the rope length to hide the ends. I didn’t use anything other than the fabric to secure the wire as I twisted the yarn around the rope.
I started my rope wrapping using one of the colors of yarn tied in a knot around the end of my rope piece. I wrapped yarn around the knot and over the wire, ensuring there were no spots where the yarn was bunched up. I had no idea how soothing this task would be! I left some slack yarn at the end, which I knotted and secured under the wrapped yarn by weaving it through the completed section with a yarn needle.
I decided to do 6 rows of rainbow because after I completed 5 rows, my daughter and son told me it didn’t really look like a rainbow without rainbow blue, red and yellow colors. I ran back out to the craft store and found the perfect pastel rainbow yarn to add. I had also included one layer of wrapped fabric, cut into strips and stitched in place at the end. This gave my rainbow more character and texture.
Step 4: Stitch the rows together
Once I had the rows completed, I turned them all face down. I used a very long stitch to stitch two together at a time, to close the gap between the rows. Once I had three sets of two rows, I stitched the three rows together so they were all combined. I then reinforced with hot glue, in spots to along the seams to continue closing the gaps. You can also add a felt layer of the rainbow along the bag to hid this work, but I didn’t here.
Step 5: Pull off tape and spread ends
After the glue has set and the back has been stitched together, it’s time to take of the tape and spread the rope threads at the end of the rainbows. I attached a piece of yarn through the top with a little pink bead for an additional touch.
Step 6: Hang!
It was my first one and not perfect but I love it. I hung Ellie’s new Rainbow Rope Art and hot glued a white butterfly onto the nail to cover my nail hole. It’s a fun addition to her pink room!
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