DIY Rainbow Mobile

Hi! I'm a seventh grader and I love to design and craft things. I found this contest, and it looked like so much fun. Of course, then I had to think of something to make. So I thought, okay, what is rainbow? Then I suddenly got it; make something out of old CDs, with their rainbow flashes and shining silver colors.

If you want to find a use for any old CDs or pieces of clear plastic, or if you just want to make this mobile, here's how to make your very own DIY rainbow mobile.

1. Pieces of clear plastic or thin plexiglass

2. Colors of paint (I found that acrylic works best, since it adheres best, but you might want to water it down)

3. Long sticks (dowels, actual sticks, or anything stiff and straight works)

4. Fishing line or thin string

5. One or two old or unused CDs

6. Scissors

7. Hot glue

8. Drill, hole punch, or something that allows you to punch a hole

9. Access to a faucet or blow dryer

Let's get started! First, cut the plastic into small squares and rectangles about two inches wide. Then, paint each one a different color. Only paint one side of each piece of plastic and make sure each piece is painted a different color of a rainbow.

Once your pieces have dried, punch a hole at the top of each one.

Now we need to cut the CD into pieces. I soaked them in hot water before I cut them so they wouldn't splinter. Dry the pieces off and then punch a hole into each of them or hot glue a piece of fishing line to them. I actually used this thin gold wire and twisted it around the pieces. It came out pretty well, in my opinion.

You can also blow dry them to soften them up.

Before you can hang your rainbow pieces and CD pieces, you need to hot glue the two sticks together. Heat the glue gun up and then apply a little glue in the middle of one of the sticks, then cross the other stick over it in a plus shape. It's important that they're centered, or else your mobile might be off balance.

Finally! Time to put together your mobile. Tie fishing line onto the plus where you want it and then tie the plastic pieces on the other end. Tie the CD pieces the same way. They can go wherever you decide to put them. You can also tie other decorations on, like tissue paper strips, or you could glue things on, such as sequins.

To hang your mobile, tie a piece of fishing line around the place where the sticks meet into a loop. Mount a hook where you want your mobile and hang the loop on the hook. Watch your new rainbow mobile spin and cast reflections all over your room!