Creating arts and crafts from everyday materials can be a deeply satisfying experience. Over the past six months, I found myself drawn to the simple act of hole punching circles out of various papers. It was so therapeutic and enabled the activity of organising, which is always satisfying. Recently, I transformed this collection into a fun wall hanging that showcases a smooth gradient from purple through yellow. I want to share the process behind the project and why it became such a rewarding creative journey.
Collecting Circles from all sorts of Sources
The journey began… with a hole punch…lots of paper to shred before moving house, and a curiosity to see what kinds of circles I could create. I didn’t limit myself to just one type of paper. ‘No way!’ I hear you say?
Instead, I punched circles from:
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Food packets
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Drink cans
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Old journals
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Old calendars
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Photographs
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Artwork
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Magazines
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Product packaging
Each source added a unique texture, colour, or pattern to my growing collection. Over time, I developed a system to organise these circles by colour in a stackable storage case, and then recently into little box drawers, which made it easy to find the perfect shades when I wanted to create something new.
Some may say I have too much time on my hands, but we all need to feed our souls somehow right?
Designing the Gradient Wall Hanging
I carefully selected circles that fit the gradient and began arranging them in columns. The process was meditative — watching the colours blend seamlessly from one to the next gave me a burst of endorphins every time the gradient clicked into place.
The design features:
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Columns of circles arranged by colour
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A gradient that moves from deep purple to bright yellow
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Variations in texture and pattern within each colour group
Assembling the Wall Hanging
Once I was happy with the layout, I glued the columns of circles back to back. This gave the hanging a double-sided look and added weight to each column. After the glue dried, I drilled holes at two opposite ends of each circle. Then, I hammered eyelets and washers through the holes to reinforce them.
To connect the circles, I linked them together with jump rings, allowing the circles to turn. At the top, I attached the columns of circles to a piece of wood, which I painted purple, adding to the gradient colour scheme. Finally, mini eyepin screws were added underneath the wood to hang each column and two on top to hang the entire piece from a hook.
This assembly took patience and care, but every step was enjoyable. From hole punching to organising, gluing, drilling, and linking, I found myself completely absorbed in the process.
It may seem a little weird to some, hole punching for an hour and picking out circles for another hour, but it keeps my mind calm and my colour brain active, which makes me feel incredibly serene. Does anyone else get a burst of joy when two colours fit together perfectly? I always say I don’t have a favourite colour, but I do, however, love complementary colours.
The Final Piece and Its Impact
The finished wall hanging is delicate yet eye-catching. Each column spins softly when a breeze passes, creating a dynamic display of colour and movement. The gradient effect is smooth and calming, drawing the eye naturally along the transition from purple to yellow.
The piece also invites closer inspection. Hidden gems within the circles encourage viewers to look for tiny details and imagine the purpose behind the original papers. Finding little surprises like a heart, a meerkat, or a bee hidden in some circles made the process even more enjoyable. This adds a layer of personal connection and nostalgia to the artwork.
Creating this hanging took about a week, but the time flew by because each part was so engaging. I love the idea of recycling paper and how unique each hanging is.
If you enjoy crafting or want to try a project that combines patience with creativity, I recommend starting with something simple like hole punching paper circles. You can even find punches for different shapes! You might find, like I did, that it becomes a relaxing and rewarding habit.