The Idea in My Head

These are the components of the sculptural project I am starting.  It is an overhead view of the materials I will be using.  There is a wooden block with pre-drilled holes that I painted white, some flexible tubing from the plumbing department of the hardware store, and some cocoon/pod-like elements that I made from stained tea bags.

I made the cocoons/pods several months ago.  I thought it would be enough to have a large number of them suspended from the ceiling or pinned to the wall, but that just didn't do the trick for me in terms of a complete concept.  I wanted them to resemble or reference cocoons/pods without being completely literal.  In my thinking that means I can't use a tree limb or something from nature that would be the literal interpretation of the cocoons/pods. So I have been searching for the right material or thing that would allow me to express both the idea of cocoon/pod yet be contemporary and fresh.

I found the wooden block while cleaning out the garage and the tubing at the hardware store when we were shopping for supplies to fix a broken sink.  So now, I will see if the idea in my head comes through the materials and into an abstracted reality of cocoons or pods.