DIY Baby Mobile

A little while back I wrote a post on unique baby mobiles and was totally smitten by this beauty from Jenna Bee's Creations.  I love her work and if your budget allows I say go for it.  I decided to try the less expensive do-it-yourself option for my sister's baby shower.  Although I don't think mine turned out quite as good as this one I am happy with the end result and more importantly my sister loves it.  Check out the tutorial if you would like to make one of your own. 

Baby  Mobile by Jenna Bee's Creations

Materials Needed:

• scrapbook paper - (I used 4 sheets of 12x12 paper.  Pink, brown, & white was my color scheme so I had one piece of each of those colors and then one that had a pink and brown print.)
• circle cutters/punches (I used a 1" & a 1 1/2" punch and then used my circle cutter for the 2" circle)
• 1 dowel rod cut into (2) 10"  (mine were 12" but I felt like they could've been a little shorter)
• med to fine sandpaper
• craft paint for dowel rod (I used white but you could use whatever color that goes with your color scheme)
• paint brush
• 8lb fishing line
• needle (I'm not sure what size mine was but choose one with a smaller eye so you don't make too big of a hole in the paper when you thread the fishing line through)
• scissors
• Scotch double sided photo splits or double sided tape
• yarn or string for holding the two dowel rods together (I used white so it would be the same color as my dowel rods.  You could also do a contrasting color if you like that look better)
• small plastic ring (to hang mobile with)  clear would be ideal but I could only find white
• craft glue

1. Start by using the circle punches and cutting out circles of 2 or 3 sizes with each color.  I used 2 sizes (1" & 1 1/2") for the main part and just one larger circle (2") at the very bottom of the mobile.  For the printed paper I punched only smaller circles and then I attached them to a larger circle.  I wasn't very systematic with how many of each color, size, etc. I used.  The look I was going for was more random but if you want something that has a very even look or a certain desired effect you might need to think a little more about what colors you want where and how many of each you will need. 



2. Once you have the circles cut use the photo splits to attach the smaller printed paper circles to the larger

    ones.  If you don't want to use any printed paper you can still attach some smaller ones of one color to a

    larger one of another color.  This gives a nice effect.

3. Cut a piece of fishing line to about 18".  This is more than you need but you can cut off the excess when

   you are done.  Thread the fishing line through the needle a few inches and then fold it over and crease it so

   it will be easier to pull through the paper.  Triple knot the end of the piece of fishing line.  With this

   thickness of fishing line a single or double knot would hold the paper.  However I was so worried about   

   the paper falling off somehow and landing in my future niece's crib in the middle of the night so I played it

  safe and triple knotted the bottoms of every one.  I figure it is better to be safe than sorry.

4. String your first circle by pushing the needle into the center of the circle and gently pulling it through.  They

    will naturally fall a little to one side or the other which is good because that is what helps create the desired

    look.  As I said above I just randomly picked the colors and sizes.  I tried to alternate colors and sizes but

    I wasn't exact with it.  The one thing you might want to keep in mind is to also alternate colors and sizes of

    the very first circle you put on each string.  When you are looking at the finished mobile from below you

    want the colors to be balanced. 

5. Once you have the first circle on there you need to make a knot before you put the next one on so it stays

    in place.  (I only single knotted these ones)  You want them to be pretty close together to give the desired

    effect so I used my thumb and pointer finger as a guide.  Holding the fishing line with my thumb and

    pointer finger I used my other hand holding the needle to make a loop and pull it tight.  So the key is to

    make the knot right above where you thumb and pointer finger are on the fishing line.  This will assure that

    the spacing is similar throughout.  This might seem hard at first but after a few times I got the hang of it and

    was able to pull the needle through right at the exact point I wanted the knot to be.  

6. Keep on adding circles and knotting in between until you have 14 on your first string. (don't cut the excess

    fishing line.  You will do that after you attach it to the dowel rod)

7. Continue the same way as you did on the first one.  You want to end up with the following:

                                         (4) strings of 14 circles

                                         (4) strings of 13 circles

                                         (4) strings of 12 circles

                                         (1) string of 15 for the middle (I started the middle string with a 2" circle on the 

                                             bottom and continued with the 1" & 1 1/2" circles as usual) 

  I used craft glue and added a little bit to the end of each string (at the triple knot) just to be sure there is no

  way they could fall off.  This is a little overboard but again, better safe than sorry.

8. Cut your dowel rod to (2) 10" pieces.  Use the sandpaper to sand down any rough spots.  Paint dowels

    whatever color you choose to compliment your mobile.  (I put 2 coats on mine)

9. Use the yarn or string to wrap around the dowel rods in an X shape to hold them together.  Make sure

    they are perpendicular to each other as you are wrapping the yarn around.  Once you have it tight enough

    tie a double knot through the bottom so the yarn stays in place and the dowels stay tightly together.

10. To attach the plastic circle that you will hang the mobile with, cut four pieces of fishing line equal in length

     (you will determine the length by how low you want the mobile to hang down from the ceiling)  Tie the

     end of each piece of fishing line towards each end of the dowel rods (about 1/4" from the ends).  Pull all

     four pieces together and triple knot them around the plastic ring.  Trim the excess fishing line off.  I didn't

     do this step until the end but I think it would be easier to do it before you add all of the strings of circles. 

11.  Start by tying the middle string first (the one with 15 circles).  It is easiest if you take the excess fishing

       line and make a double knot diagonal around the yarn in the middle.   Make sure the first circle starts

       just below the dowel rods.  Then start with the 4 strings of 14 and tie each one about a 1/2" from the

      middle so that there is one on each side of the middle string.  Move over another 1/2" and tie the 4

      strings of 13 and then the strings with 12 will be on the outside.  (so if you think of the dowel rods having

      4 pieces starting in the middle with the string of 15 circles you will work towards the outside and they

      will go 14 circles, 13, circles, 12 circles on each of the 4 sides) Once you have them all on and double

      knotted you can space them out evenly.  Then cut the excess fishing line and use the craft glue to put a

      little dab of glue at each knot to hold the strings in place.  Also put a dab of glue on all four knots of

      fishing line that is attached to the plastic ring.  This is so that string can't come off of the ends.  Once the

      glue dries just double check and make sure everything is in place and won't move.  Add more glue if

      needed.  

And there you have it, a beautiful, unique baby mobile that you made yourself!

This is where I was talking about being mindful of the circles you choose for the end of each string.  You want to make sure when they are all together the colors are spread out evenly.

I also found this picture on Houzz. 

This shows you an example of a similar mobile that is all one color and a little more simple. 

contemporary kids design