How To: Baby Mobiles

Yesterday in my post about Anne's Baby Shower, I said I would write about the baby mobile I made. If you have an afternoon to waste and some patience, baby mobiles can be a fun project. I have made two over the past couple years and they were both different ideas. The common materials for a baby mobile are wooden embroidery hoops that you can find at most craft stores. I painted mine to match the accessories on the mobile. You will also need a good string to hang your items from the hoops, as well as some ribbon to tie the hoops together and to hang the mobile. Then you have to decide what you want hanging from the mobile. Here are the two I have done, I will walk through them individually:

1. Bird Mobile for Baby Addie - Her nursery is classic and girly and I wanted to make something special for her. I loved a mobile I saw somewhere with pretty cloth birds hanging from it, as well as hearts hanging from the center. I found a pack of quilt fabric to use to sew the birds (it was a great find because with quilt packs the fabric coordinate). I cut out a simple bird shape with the fabric folded. I then cut out some batting to put in the middle, and then I hand sewed the pieces together with coordinating thread. I then sewed on felt wings that had the fabric on the back and buttons for the eyes. I used embroidery thread to hang the birds and hearts. At the ends I added cute beads and pearls. The thicker pink ribbon adds the baby girl feel. With the hoops I decided to do the smaller on top with the bigger hoop on the bottom.

Getting the hoops to balance is the hardest part and can take a lot of patience. Luckily my first mobile worked out and looked great in her nursery:

2. Star Mobile for Twinkle Little Star Baby Shower - While shopping for star decorations, I found mini star ornaments in the clearance Christmas section at Target. They inspired me to attempt another baby mobile. I also found a great ribbon there that was gold tinsel with a cotton looking material on it. Reminded me of clouds. I didn't have to sew this time, but tying on all the stars took awhile, especially since I decided to cover three hoops. I used a gold string to hang them and then used the fun gold tinsel ribbon to attach the hoops. I also decided to hang some curled pieces of it hanging off the edges:

Photos via me

They aren't perfect, but I like that about them. They look like they were homemade, which I think makes them unique and full of character. My friend Kelly made one for her first baby using little elephants she had found at World Market. There are tons of items out there to inspire you, so if you are having a baby or needing a special baby gift, a baby mobile is a fun idea.

Here are a couple of my favorites on Pinterest that I would like to attempt some day:

Butterfly Chandelier

Paper Chandelier

Lots of Love,