How to make your own Placebo hanging mobile...

supplies: a spool of thread (any color) an even # of Placebo pictures of varying sizes (i generally use 10 - 14) 2 wire clothes hangers glue sticky tape (i like masking tape, but duct tape would also work well) paint of the same color as your hangers* decorative doodads* *if desired

directions: go through your pictures of Placebo and match up those that are similar in size. take each of the picture pairs and trim them so they're same size as each other. lay each pic of the pairs back to back to give you an idea of how you want your mobile to look. cut several lengths of thread (about an arm's length is good) and set them nearby. spread a thin layer of glue on the back of one pic. carefully lay the end of a thread in the glue so the thread is coming from the top & center of the picture. lay the 2nd pic of the pair on top of the gluey pic (make sure neither of the pics are upside down) & the thread. squish them together & flatten out any glue bumps. repeat this process on each picture pair until you have several 2-sided pictures w/ long threads coming out of them, then lay them aside to dry for a bit so the threads don't slip out. take your 2 wire hangers and put one through the other (both hooks should be together at the top) so they make a sort of X when viewed from above. wrap tape around the hooks and where the 2 hangers meet at the bottom once your pics are dry enough, tie the loose end of the threads onto the taped together hangers so the pictures hang at various lengths. tidy up your mobile by trimming the excess threads where you tied them to the hangers, and by painting the tape with a color similar to the hangers to hide where they're bound together. decorate your mobile however your heart desires! for example, you could put beads on the threads before you tie them onto the hangers (this will weigh the pics down & they'll flutter less) add ribbons, paint or cover the hangers with a funky color, or make a little sign to hang from the center like i did (it says 'Placebo' on one side & 'now my feet don't touch the ground' on the other). when you're satisfied hang the mobile from a hook on the ceiling, sit back, and watch the Placebo pictures flutter & pirouette in the breeze.

a few notes i'd have found helpful: Photocopied and/or computer printed pics work best because they can more easily be replaced. for a variation you could glue pairs of pics higher on the thread for a double-tiered effect. if the glued together pictures are curling up while they're drying placing them underneath a heavy book will help them dry flat. it helps to have the taped together hangers hanging up while you're trying to tie the threads at various lengths. here's a crappy picture of the first Placebo mobile i ever made

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