How To: Make a Mobile For $15 and Under

When I was pregnant with Owen, I caught major nesting bug. I wanted to craft and create a fun nursery that I did all on my own. One of my favorite projects I created was his mobile. I found these fun little hot air balloons that I just had to incorporate in his room. Now, these hot air balloons were hard to find at a price that I was comfortable paying. I finally found them online for $5, but typically these little cuties average to $15 a piece! That is an expensive mobile. Using other materials than expensive hot air balloon figures, I've come up with a fun project to make a mobile for $15 or less.

Owen's Mobile

Supplies you will need: fabric, felt, fishing line, needle, thread, stitching hoop, & yarn (optional)

When picking out fabric you won't need much. These piece aren't very large. I went to the clearance section of Walmart and found some fun colors & prints that totaled to roughly $5 for 7 scraps of different fabrics. If you are a fan of making everything match picking out a cheap quilting pack is a great cost efficient way too. I have found some quilting packs with 5 different combinations of fabrics for $5-$7 and the pieces are made to coincide together beautifully.

TEMPLATES:

Creating templates can be a fun part of making the mobile your own. If you'd like the templates I've used they will be provided in my next post for print. The key to creating a good template is to keep it simple and create layers that make your image pop.

STEP ONE:
Place template over felt & outline image to cut. The felt outline should cover the entire image. This will be your base piece that you sew all your layers to. I found these 8 x 11 felt sheets for about 88 cents a piece and I only needed 3 sheets.
A handy tip in tracing your image is to pin the template to the felt. This will give you a more accurate stenciling so you don't have any change in size. To trace the template on the felt & fabric I used an erasable chalk pen. This prevents the ink from bleeding into the fabric and allows for the chalk to be washed off with a little water.

STEP TWO: 
After you have cut out your template, stitch a knot with the fishing line so you have your line ready to hang your piece to the hoop for later stage. I find that if I do this step first I can cover any thickness in the knot with the layers of fabric placed over the felt.

STEP THREE:

Pin your layered templates to the desired fabrics. I highly recommend ironing your fabric before hand to prevent any adjustments in size due to wrinkles. Make sure you outline on the 'wrong side' of the fabric. That way no markings will be seen on your print.

STEP FOUR: 

Take your fabric cut piece and pin it to the felt, & begin stitching! Personally, I don't mind uneven stitches. I feel it gives it a more playful look for a nursery. However, if you are a stickler for perfection, I recommend taking your time stitch by stitch and keep the stitches close together to avoid any mistakes. For you super sewers out there, you can also sew by machine if you prefer. It really all depends on how you make it your own. 

STEP FIVE:

Once you've finished creating your hanging pieces you are ready to hang! I really like how the wood hoop looks all on it's own, but if you want a more finished look, wrapping yarn tightly around the hoop is another way to finish. It also can cover the knots you've made when tying your pieces. When I finish wrapping my hoop in the yarn I tie a knot and tuck the remainder yarn at the end of the knot into the loops wrapped in the hoop to hide those strands. The size hoop I used was 8 inches in diameter and roughly cost $3.

STEP SIX:
You are ready to hang your piece! When locating the desired spot to hang your mobile it is important to find a stud to support and hold the mobile. Once you find the stud, pre-drill a hole partially into the stud. Do not drill all the way through or the screw of your hook will not have enough to grip.  Once you've finished drilling take your hook and screw by hand into the ceiling. I used a 3 inch Crown Bolt ceiling hook you can purchase at any hardware store for about $1. I'm a safety freak so I also tested the hook's strength by pulling on the hook to make sure it was placed properly.