
Game of Thrones dragon mobile
Last January when I was at the Alt Summit in Salt Lake City, I met my kindred spirit, Asia Rau Vinton, of Sparrow Soirées. I mentioned to her that one night at the conference I just went back to my room at the hotel and snuggled up in bed to watch a few episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones. She gasped as she also loves that show. Our meeting was destiny.
We immediately concocted a plan to rendezvous back in Seattle to do a GOT Craft day. Was there such a place where our nerd-geek love of fantasy/sci-fi meets crafting? If so, we wanted to be there. Who wouldn’t want to wear a pipe-cleaner crown and make dragon mobiles? I’m sure Daenerys Targaryan would approve.
This mobile was inspired by a 1964 book by the name of Christmas Magic written by Margaret Perry. I bought the book off Etsy and immediately fell in love with the retro mobiles featured in the book. I love them so much I’m sure you will be seeing more of them in months to come. So for now instead of angels and Christmas balls, you will be getting dragons. :)
MATERIALS
- Silhouette Cameo with Connect software
- Dragon template (PDF)
- Black text weight paper
- Glue stick
- X-acto knife
- 18 gauge dark annealed wire
- Round needle nosed pliers
- Wire cutters
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Download the PDF template and open in Adobe Illustrator. Open through the Connect software and cut out 3 sets of dragons. (1 body and 2 wings each)
Step 2:
Glue on one wing to each side of the body, with the curved edges closest to the head.
Step 3:
Now measure and cut your wire in the following pieces:
2 – 7″ pieces
1 – 5″ piece
3 – 3″ pieces
Use your needle nose pliers to create a small loop at each end of the pieces.
Step 4:
Now make a kink in the middle of one of the 7″ pieces.
Step 5:
Make a small hole right in front of the wings using your x-acto knife. This is where you will thread a 3″ piece of wire through. Do this step to all 3 dragons.
Step 6:
Hang on one on each end of the kinked wire.
Step 7:
Take the other 7″ piece and connect it onto the kinked loop. Then hang the last dragon onto the opposite end.
Take your index finger and try and balance the wire on your finger. Find the sweet spot where it’s even and kink that wire with your pliers.
Step 8:
Take your 5″ piece of wire and connect it to that kinked wire.
You can hang it directly from that top piece or thread some string or fishing line through the loop to hang.
That book looks very cool!! I’d wager I did a few of those crafts in elementary school–it was the same (ahem, cough, cough) time frame that I was in elementary school!
But what, if you please, is “annealed wire??” I don’t have A Hound to guide me through the wilderness to retrieve such a treasure, so I hope I can find it at Lowes!!
lol….
Annealed wire is a heating process used to make the wire more bendable, and over time it doesn’t harden like other wires. I also think the process is what gives it that darkish color. I would assume they have it at Lowes. I got mine at Dick Blick art store, they might sell it online.
Oh, p.s.
Love, love the dragon mobile…fabulous!!
THANKS!! :)
Great website and amazing ideas for stocking stuffers. Merry Christmas to you & your family.
Thanks so much for this tutorial! Just so you know, it was featured here: http://www.dreamingofbutterflies.co/game-thrones-diy/
Really cool looking dragon mobile, thank you Kathy! Just so you know we have added it to our list of cool gifts for fans of the show, incase they are wanting to make their own instead of buying one.
http://www.giftidealand.com/tv/58-ultimate-game-of-thrones-gifts-for-fans-of-the-show
Regards,
Emma