How to Make a Fabric Mobile

Make a fabric mobile to hold your baby's attention as she falls asleep.

Mobiles can be constructed out of several materials. Fabric is one choice that allows you to match the mobile to the curtains, bedding or overall theme of the room with solid colored or printed fabric shapes. Sew shapes that coordinate with the baby's room decor to construct a decorative fabric mobile. Create a fabric mobile for hanging in a window, in the corner of a room or over your baby's crib.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Fabric chalk
• Stencils (optional)
• Sewing scissors
• Straight pins
• Needle and thread
• Cotton batting
• Chipboard
• Pencil
• Regular paper-cutting scissors
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Planter hook

Instructions

Constructing the Fabric Shapes

1. Draw shapes onto the back of pieces of fabric with fabric chalk. Draw two identical shapes for each shape you want to hang from the mobile. Use stencils if you like.

2. Cut out the shapes along the chalk lines with sewing scissors.

3. Pin the identical shapes together around the edges with straight pins, with the front sides of the fabric pieces facing together so the shapes are inside-out.

4. Sew around the edges, about 1/8 inch away from the cut edges, with needle and matching thread. Leave an opening of 1/2 inch at the top of each shape. Remove the straight pins.

5. Turn the shapes right side out through the opening so the decorative side of the fabric is showing and the sewn seams are hidden on the inside of the shapes.

6. Stuff each shape through the opening with scraps of cotton batting to fluff them up like pillows.

7. Sew the 1/2-inch opening on each shape closed by turning the cut edges inward, pinching them together and sewing them closed with needle and thread.

Constructing the Mobile

1. Cut one 18-inch length of fishing line or yarn for each fabric shape.

2. Thread each fishing line or yarn piece separately onto a needle and knot the end.

3. Poke through the top of each fabric shape and pull the needle so the fabric shape rests at the end of the knot.

4. Make another knot in each string 12 inches away from the fabric shapes.

5. Draw a shape onto chipboard, about 6 inches across, with a pencil. Cut it out with regular paper cutting scissors. The chipboard will dull your sewing scissors.

6. Paint the shape with acrylic paint and a paintbrush. Allow it to dry for about 20 minutes and paint the other side.

7. Thread the needle back onto the end of one of the strings on one of the fabric shapes and poke it through the chipboard shape so the chipboard shape rests on the knot that is 12 inches from the fabric shape. Do this for each fabric shape, spacing them evenly around the chipboard shape.

8. Pull the ends of the string that stick out through the chipboard shape and knot them all around the bottom loop of an s-hook. Hang it wherever you like, with the top loop of the s-hook.

Tips & Warnings

• To skip the sewing, you can use small stuffed animals.

• Tie your knots securely and tug on the mobile to be sure that the fabric shapes cannot fall into a crib. Hang it at a height that your baby will not be able to reach.