Step 1: Activate Creativity
Assemble your materials. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast, grab a glass of wine or a cup of tea – do whatever you do that brings you that magical, creative flow. Go ahead, lose your head in the clouds.
Step 2: Paint the Frame
It’s best to apply a layer or two of white acrylic paint with your foam paint brush on the 12" wire wreath frame so that you won’t have any dark wire peeping through at the end. It definitely doesn’t need to be a perfect paint job (evident by photo #1 below).
Step 3: Cut for Your Life
Next, you're going to use your sewing ruler to measure and your craft scissors to cut what feels like a lifetime's worth of 6 inch macrame yarn pieces. The easiest way to do this is by measuring one piece, and then using that same piece to measure the rest. You’ll end up needing around 150 6-inch pieces of yarn. You can either cut these all right now, or cut about 30 and move to step 4, and then come back to cut more.
Step 4: Tie For Your Life:
Tie a split knot with each 6-inch piece of macrame yarn onto the second circle closest to the middle (photo #1). Make sure you are tying on the front of the wire wreath frame (the front is the side that is flexing out). Tie a slip knot by folding the yarn in half, tucking the looped side of the yarn under the frame (photo #1), and then pulling the ends over the frame and under the loop. Make sure that the knot is facing the right way; the loop should go under the wire, and towards the outer edge of the wreath frame, as shown in photo #1 below. Continue tying all the way around (photo #3).
Step 5: Tie, Tie, Tie Some More
You’ll then begin on the inner most circle (photo #4) and repeat the slip knots all the way around. It's simple once you get the hang of the slip knots but a bit time consuming, so settle in, listen to music, a podcast, or your favorite sitcom.
Step 6: Unravel
The next step is to unravel the yarn. You can do this with your hands, or you can grab your comb to assist. The best way to unravel is to start at the base of the yarn (right under the knots you've created), and use the comb to brush out towards the edges of the yarn (photo #5).
Step 7: Glue Time
Next, you simply need to use your E6000 glue to adhere the 10" mirror to the back of the wreath frame. Before applying the glue, set your mirror on the back of the frame so you can see where it will touch the frame. Then, apply a generous helping of glue onto the back of the frame where the mirror will touch, and set the mirror in the glue.
Step 8: Intermission: Let Glue Dry
Place about 3 pounds worth of items on the back of your mirror (a couple hard cover books, or a few coffee mugs), and let dry for a full 24 hours.
Step 9: Trim, and Admire Your Work, You Creative Genius1
Lastly, you’ll likely want to use your craft scissors to trim some of the edges of the yarn as you may have some pieces that are jutting out. Once complete, step back and admire your work. Take a mirror selfie, if you wish. And remember, don’t criticize your work: it’s perfectly imperfect. Love it, cherish it, or at the very least, gift it to a family member. Now, take a picture, upload to Instagram/TikTok/Pinterest and use the hashtag #papercloudsescape.