Mobiles are such a wonderful DIY project because the options are pretty much limitless as far as what shapes and colors to use. But how exactly do you hang all those little things? DwellStudio's new mobiles inspired me to try to make one with a round plexiglass top. Here's how you can do it, too:

Materials:
thin plexiglass
clear thread or fishing line
various paper or fabric shapes to hang

Step 1: Place plexiglass on a cutting surface. Set a plate on the plexiglass. With a sharp craft knife, lightly cut around plate. You're really scoring the plexiglass rather than trying to cut through on the first pass. Don't press too hard. Go around and around, the more the better.

Step 2: Flip the plexiglass over, put the plate on the scored circled, and continue to cut on the other side. Go around and around the plate with the knife, lightly scratching a little deeper each time.

Step 3: Press the plate down firmly with one hand and pop the plexiglass edges up with the other to free the inner circle you cut. You can lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper around the edges. Just be sure not to scratch the surface of the plexi.

Step 4: Decide how many holes you want and where you want them. Press a piece of scrap wood onto the plexiglass where you want to drill. Use the tiniest drill bit you have, sandwich the plexi between the wood and cutting surface, and drill straight through.

Step 5: String the fishing line through the holes. The key to getting it to hang flat is to not hang it from one single hole in the center, but from a few holes around the edges.

Step 6: String pretty things from your plexiglass!

(Images: Katie Steuernagle)