How to Make Your Own Crib Mobile
From an early age, babies enjoy staring at bold visual patterns. Learning to make your own crib mobile can save you money and give you a fun creative project, while providing your baby with hours of simple stimulation, plus a distraction during processes like diaper changing and dressing. You also have the option of changing the images as baby matures, or just to avoid boredom. Read on to learn how to make your own crib mobile.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Computer and printer, markers, or paint
- Scissors
- Wire hangers or heavy gauge wire
- Needle nose pliers
- Wire clippers
- String, yarn or fishing wire
- Glue (optional)
- Hole punch (optional)
Instructions
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1
Straighten wire hangers (which is easiest if you clip off the hook parts) or use regular wire. Make several gently curved pieces about a foot long. Use the pliers to create a small loop in each end of each length.
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2
Tie a sturdy piece of thread, yarn or fishing wire to the middle of one of your lengths of wire. Tie the same piece of yarn to the middle of the second wire, about an inch away from the first. Repeat this process with all of your wires.
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3
Make your own crib mobile images. You can cut out pictures from magazines or books, print patterns from the internet or visual software, or draw them yourself. Tiny babies love simple black and white patterns, while older babies can see smaller details and also enjoy bright colors. Cut your images out in any shape. If you want, you can make a set of images for now and another set to swap in later. Make a back and front for each image by using both sides of the paper or by gluing two pieces together.
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4
Attach the images to the wire loops by punching holes in them and tying them on strings, or by gluing the strings on or between the two sides of the images. Make the strings as long as you want--tying the images near the ends of the wires is fine, but having a variety of lengths is generally more interesting.
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5
Decide where to hang the mobile and adjust the length of the main string accordingly. Tie the end to a fixture or make it into a loop that you can hang from a hook.
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Tips & Warnings
Besides flat pictures, you can attach other things like pieces of origami or lightweight toys to the ends of the strings.
Make sure the mobile will be just out of baby's reach so that it's easy to see, but the art materials and strings don't create a hazard.
