How to Make a Valentine Mobile

Mobiles are interesting décor items because they are dynamic and always in motion. Hanging your favorite items in a balanced, free-moving configuration can be attractive to infants learning about shapes and motion, as well as to art aficionados appreciating creative expression. Here are the simple steps to creating a Valentine mobile with bamboo sticks and lightweight papier-mache´ hearts.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Papier-mache´ hearts (1 large and 5 small)
• Bamboo sticks (1 long and 2 short)
• Hemp string
• Hot glue
• 1 Hook screw
• 6 Eye screws

1. 
   Make papier-mache´ hearts.

   Make and embellish the papier-mache´ hearts. (Check out this eHow article on How to Make Papier Mache´ Hearts.)

2. 
   Attach an eye screw to each heart.

   Attach an eye screw on the cleavage of each heart. Attach a second eye screw on the bottom of the big heart. Apply hot glue to ensure that the eye screws don't ease out.

3. 
   Lay out the mobile design.

   Lay out the mobile by positioning the hearts and bamboo sticks. Put the long stick on top, then arrange the hearts with the big one just under the long stick. This will give you an idea of the spacing and size of the mobile.

4. 
   Attach the small hearts to the short bamboo sticks.

   Tie a hemp string on each small heart estimating the length according to the layout. Attach a heart to each tip of the short bamboo sticks. Secure the strings onto the bamboos with a small dot of hot glue. Attach the fifth heart to the bottom of the big heart.

5. 
   Hang the short sticks from the long stick.

   Tie a string around the center of the short bamboo stick, making sure the two hanging hearts are balanced. Hot-glue the string in place. Do the same with the other short bamboo stick. Attach the center strings of these two short bamboos to the tips of the long bamboo and hot glue in place. Tie the big heart to the center of the long bamboo stick.

6. 
   Tie a hanging string for the mobile.

   Tie a hanging string around the center of the long bamboo stick making sure the whole mobile is balanced. It should be next to where the big heart is attached. Hot glue the strings in place.

7. 
   Hang your mobile and enjoy!

   Attach a hook screw to the ceiling, hang your mobile and enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• The main technique in building a mobile is to start with the bottom objects and end with the hanging string at the top. You can expand this two-level mobile into as many levels as you can manage.
• Be sure the hanging hearts and bamboo sticks are balanced before hot gluing the strings in place.
• When laying out the arrangement of the hanging objects, imagine them in motion. Make sure the hearts and strings are spaced adequately so they don't entangle.
• Feel free to substitute materials. Instead of papier-mache´, use cardboard, paper foldings or foam cutouts (use lightweight items for easier balancing). Instead of bamboo sticks, use wire or cardboard shapes. Instead of hemp string, use yarn, ribbon or nylon cord.
• Hang mobiles where they cannot be reached by pets. Cats will be particularly fond of the moving objects.

Resources

• Mobile Sculpture by Timothy Rose

[bali74]

on 1/19/2009 Wow.. they look so cute..! :)

[arwen1964]

on 11/29/2008 I like the idea of a valentine mobile. I will add your article to the list of links for a heart health unit study.