A straw mobile is a mobile made from reeds,

straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has a number ...

or other similar material bound together with string, often forming

geometric shapes Geometric Shapes is a Unicode block of 96 symbols at code point range U+25A0–25FF. U+25A0–U+25CF The BLACK CIRCLE is displayed when typing in a password field, in order to hide characters from a screen recorder or shoulder surfing. U+2 ...

such as octahedrons, and can be decorated further with craft supplies such as wood, yarn, or feathers. Such mobiles have been traditional in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

, and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

where they may serve as symbolic or religious decorations. Modern variations can be made from materials like brass or plastic.

Name

Different cultures have different names for straw mobiles. For example, in some Germanic cultures they are often known as himmeli (heavens), while in Slavic cultures they are known as pajak (spider). } – "heaven" and "sky") The himmeli base shape consists of 12 fragments, which symbolize the 12 months. They are used as decorations from

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

until Midsummer. Modern himmeli are also made of

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

, paper and even

plastic straw A drinking straw is a utensil that is intended to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. Straws are commonly made from plastics but environmental concerns and new regulation have led to rise in reusable and biodegradable straws. These ...

s. Their purpose is to ensure a good harvest in the following year, and it functions as a home for the crop spirit. It hangs from the ceiling over the dinner table.“Himmeli.” ''HEMLEVA'', https://hemleva.com/collections/himmeli. The larger the himmeli the larger the rye crop. ,

Shape

Made a himmeli! Neon yellow too! (18988255573)

Straw mobiles are geometric structures, with the main diamond pattern thought to be reminiscent of the shape of the fields that farmers used. The patterns vary from simple to extremely complex, from a

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...

to an octahedron.^{/sup> Regardless of the pattern, straw mobiless are symmetrical from their hanging points. Different patterns are created by the straw mobile as it rotates.

Modern practice

In addition to increased popularity in their traditional form, straw mobiles have also experienced modern twists within the craft and décor community. Alternative materials such as straws and metal tubes have become common.Basinger, Rachel. “How to Make a Himmeli Sculpture.” ''The Guardian'', Guardian News and Media, 6 June 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/do-something-blog/2014/jun/06/how-to-make-a-himmeli-sculpture.Bly, Brittany. “10 DIY Himmeli Tutorials That Perfectly Pair with Plants.” ''Pop Shop America'', Pop Shop America, 12 Mar. 2019, https://www.popshopamerica.com/blog/10-diy-himmeli-tutorials-that-perfectly-pair-with-plants/.Church, Alison. “Crafts for Kids-Himmeli.” ''National Nordic Museum'', National Nordic Museum, 3 June 2020, https://nordicmuseum.org/news/crafts-for-kidshimmeli. Himmelis made out of metal tubes are sold as year-round décor as opposed to solely a Christmastime fixture.“Himmeli.” ''Solid Oak'', Solid Oak Inc., https://solidoakinc.com/collections/himmeli. Sometimes they keep the same form as a mobile, but some retailers sell himmelis designed to hold air plants or potted plants.“DIY Himmeli Kit, Copper.” ''Irma’s Finland House.'' Irma’s Finland House., https://irmasfinlandhouse.com/products/diy-himmeli-kit-copper Himmelis have even made it into high-end design. Designer Paul Loebach used himmelis as inspiration for a line of pendant lights and his designs have also been recreated by other companies.Williams, Lisbeth. “Paul Loaebach’s Design is Re-use of Tradition.” ''Wabisabi Style.'' Lisbeth Williams, https://irmasfinlandhouse.com/products/diy-himmeli-kit-copper“Replica Lights.” ''Replica Lights.'' Replica Lights, https://www.replicalights.com.au/himmeli-cage-pendant-light-white-roll-hill/ Another way that himmelis have gained popularity is as a simple craft. While himmelis can be extremely intricate and complex, smaller versions are relatively easy to make, resulting in many websites creating how-to articles and suggesting it as a kid’s craft.“Make Your Own Himmeli.” ''Nordic Northwest'', Nordic Northwest, 22 Dec. 2020, https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/post/himmeli.Mandi. “How to Make a Basic Geometric Himmeli Ornament.” ''Vintage Revivals'', Vintage Revivals, 3 Dec. 2013, https://vintagerevivals.com/how-to-make-a-basic-geometric-himmeli-ornament/. Some websites give a list of materials, while other retailers sell prefabricated kits with all the necessary supplies.

Process

The process of creating a straw mobile begins with the harvest. The best straw of the rye harvestMäki, Daniel. “The Finnish American Reporter; Hancock.” ''ProQuest'', 1 Apr. 2021, Accessed 10 Apr. 2022. is cut into sections about 6.5 feet long and laid out to dry. The rye changes from green to a golden brown and the process takes several weeks. Once dried, the rye is cut at the joints and separated into groups based on the thickness of the stalk. At this point the construction itself can begin. The straw is cut into sections of the desired length and thread is threaded through the hollow stems to join them together. The thread should be hidden within the straw and near invisible when viewing the himmeli.

References

* Watson Jepsen, Brittany. “Himmeli: Geometric Home Decor.” ''The House That Lars Built'', The House That Lars Built, 15 Dec. 2016, https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/2016/12/himmeli-geometric-home-decor.html/.
* The Straw Shop. “Eija Koski”. ''The Straw Shop''. The Straw Shop, https://thestrawshop.com/eija-koski/

External links

* Rachel Basinger (6 June 2014)
How to make a himmeli sculpture
The Guardian

''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

Sodai documentary

Straw art
Christmas decorations
Northern European culture
Kinetic sculptures

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