An Easy DIY Inspired By Nature That Brings Cottagecore Charm

If you love all things nature, simple living, and coziness, then you are probably well aware of the cottagecore aesthetic. This interior design style incorporates natural elements and soft, comfortable decor to create a calming home reminiscent of an old English cottage. Cottagecore is also related to some similar aesthetics, such as dark cottagecore, naturecore, or fairycore, and your exact cottagecore preference might lean in one of these directions. If you feel called to embrace the naturecore aesthetic with climbing driftwood shelf decor and other unique, outdoor-inspired elements, then you probably appreciate a bit of whimsy in your home design. When creating a space more like a magical cottage than a rustic one, a gorgeous and easy-to-build DIY hanging cloud decor item could be a perfect addition to make your home feel closer to nature.

This DIY raincloud project involves gluing polyester stuffing and some beaded strings to a cardboard box to create a small faux cloud that looks like it is showering shiny blue raindrops. To complete it, you need string or yarn, invisible thread (such as Dritz Invisible Thread), beads in a variety of blue and white colors, a small cardboard box, polyester stuffing, hot glue sticks, and a glue gun. Provided you already have the hot glue gun and sticks, the supplies for this project can easily be bought for around $30. Once you have all of your supplies, you can start playing with your items to create your own adorable little raincloud decor piece.

To create this cute cloud, start by choosing a cardboard box. This box will act as the base of the project, so the size and shape of it will influence the final look of your cloud. A more rectangular box can make your cloud longer, while a square one will have a more symmetrical result. Taller boxes will create taller clouds, while shorter ones will make your cloud flatter. You could also glue two Styrofoam balls together or use paper lanterns to achieve rounder shapes more easily. Once you have chosen your base, turn it upside down and poke a hole in the top. Feed your yarn or string through, and tie it into the box so that the knot is inside the cavity and there is a large loop outside of the box. This is how you will hang the cloud.

Next, tie your beads onto the invisible thread. Strategically placed knots will make the beads look like they are floating on top of one another. You might use beads that are clear, opaque, white, blue, or any combination to create a rain effect, and you can add any number of threads. You could also find raindrop-shaped beads, such as these Czech Glass Beads, that would be perfect for this cloud. Secure the ends of the invisible threads inside the cardboard box using hot glue or tape. Finally, pull out chunks of the polyester stuff and hot glue them to the entire outside of the cardboard box, focusing on rounding out the edges and making an asymmetrical shape to get a good cloud shape. 

While these instructions will leave you with an amazing result, there are some additional ways you can spruce up your raincloud. First, if you want to give your cottagecore aesthetic a darker feel, attempting to dye the polyester stuffing before gluing it into the place may be worth a try. Following the instructions of a dye made for synthetic fibers, such as Rit DyeMore, will give your cloud a stormier look by changing its color from white to gray. If you don't have a polyester dye, spray paint may also be an option. 

Another way to elevate this cloud decor is by putting in a light source. You can add a small light to the underside of the box, or you could use fairy lights. Just make sure to leave the string lights on for a while and monitor the temperature before you glue them in place to see that neither they nor the battery pack will get too hot. Spraying a fire retardant might also help prevent accidents if you are worried about safely adding lights to your cloud. String the lights through the cloud, or have small strands hanging down with the beads and invisible threads to turn your decor into a lighting fixture. A bit of string light hanging down with the beads can be a cool way to get the look of lightning flashes. Finally, combine this raincloud with more little rainclouds, or create magical floating clouds for your bedroom with hot glue and recycled bottles to create a truly whimsical nature-inspired environment.