Page 346: DIY project this weekend - Himmeli

Are you that kinda person who likes to buy things because they look nice or cute and you think you can do some DIY project later with them but you’re not quite sure what the project is going to be? Yes? You’re nodding right now? Gimme high five, luv! Haha. So I bought this set of cute paper straws long time ago because..I have a soft spot for stripes. I’m okay with pink although it’s not my favorite color, not even make it to the top three. And I thought maybe I could do some DIY project with them later. But..like I mentioned in the beginning, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them. So I just kept them somewhere in my room. But last week, after visiting Kemang Rooftop Market 2 at Coworkinc and met and talked to Takako, a talented and sweet Japanese crafter who lives in Indonesia and made himmelis, I thought maybe I could use those straws to make my own himmeli. I bought one of her mini himmelis too.

For those who are still unfamiliar with himmeli, it’s a traditional ornament with 3D geometric shape in Finland. The name "himmeli" is derived from Germanic / Swedish word "himmel", means "heaven". The traditional himmelis are made out of straws, hang above dining tables from the holiday season until Midsummer, believed to bring a good crop for the coming year. Recently, many designers and crafters have been inspired by the variant shapes of himmelis and use it for many things: hanging ornaments, planter, pendant, chair, etc.

If you want to make your own, there are many tutorials out there. From himmelis that used straws, to those that used brass pipes. Through this post, I’m just gonna share my own experiment making himmelis for the first time. I was planning to make
a lamp shade, but then I got lazy to put it up there. Ha. I think I can use it for something else, but again, not sure what. I also made a bar soap/ shampoo holder.

What you need:
- Straws
- Fishing line (you can also use nylon string or suede rope, as long as it can make the structure sturdy. I use fishing line because..I have it in my apartment)
- Cutter
- Scissors
- Cutting board
- Ruler

Lampshade

What to do:
1. Cut each straw in half (use ruler to help you measure the length). I think I used 12 or 15, I can’t remember. I didn’t want a big himmeli, and the one that’s featured on this post has pentagonal structure – every angle will look like a pentagon. It sounds complicated, but as soon as you make the first basic pentagon, it will be easier.

2. Make a triangle by threading your fishing line/ string/ wire through the straws and make a knot. Whenever you reach a joint, make a knot to secure. Don’t make the pentagon, it will be harder to adjust the straws in the middle. Continue to make the first basic pentagon like the picture below.

3. Add 2 triangles on two sides of the basic pentagon, secure. Add one more to connect the two triangles, and you’ll get this shape.

4. Repeat the process until you have nothing left but a diamond shape with each side forms a pentagon, and you will simply need to thread a straw to divide it and tie off. Trust me, it won’t be confusing and you’ll know how to get to the final shape once you have passed step 3. You can also use it as a part of your centerpiece. Just put on your dining table and add some flowers and or branches.

Airplant / bar soap/ shampoo holder
What to do:
1. Cut 2 straws in half, and then take more straws, measure and cut them so you'll get straws with length 6cm each (you’ll need 8 of these).
2. Take 2 long straws and 1 short straw, and make a triangle by threading your fishing line/ string/ wire through the straws and make a knot. Continue the process until you have used 4 long straws and get a pyramid shape.
3. Take the rest of short straws until you get this shape. Take a thread and make a loop. If you want to use it as air plant holder, from here, you’re good to go. But I decided to make a bar shampoo holder, so I added that anti slippery sheet that you can get from supermarket, secure it with thread (I didn’t use glue because if later I want to use it for something else, I can remove the sheet without ruining the himmeli).

Below are some of my favorite ideas I found on the internet of how to make useful things with himmeli shape. Go explore, and feel free to share your project with me through comments and or email!

From I Spy DIY

image courtesy: here

image courtesy: here