Making Handmade Mobiles With Embroidery Hoops

Embroidery hoops can be used to create mobiles.

Making handmade mobiles is a relatively easy and enjoyable craft that can be enjoyed by people of various skill levels. You can use embroidery hoops as the structure of the mobile, then use a variety of materials to hang items from the hoops. Customize the mobiles to match a party theme or home decor, or help children create their own mobiles as a fun rainy day project or to teach them about kinetic art and sculptures.

Kid Crafts

Have the children cut simple shapes such as circles, squares and triangles out of craft foam to dangle from the hoop. Or they can cut animal shapes out of construction paper. Punch a hole at the top of the shapes with a hole punch; pull a piece of yarn through the holes, tie a knot to secure the shape, and tie the other end to the embroidery hoop.

Party Decorations

Paint the hoop white or in a party color, then use ribbon to suspend party-themed items from the hoop. For instance, an outer space party might include a black and silver color scheme. Paint the hoop black and use silver metallic ribbon to suspend plastic foam balls from the hoop. Paint the balls to resemble the planets before hanging.

Home Decor

Wrap and glue ribbon around both a large and small embroidery hoop, then suspend the smaller hoop from the larger hoop with transparent thread. Hang decorative items from both hoops with ribbon, transparent thread or metallic cord. Hang sea shells to decorate a nautical room, or small stuffed animals to decorate a baby's nursery.

Other

Other ways to make embroidery hoop mobiles including stretching beautiful fabric in small embroidery hoops, then suspending them from a larger hoop. You can also use ribbon scraps to create a mobile. Tie pieces of ribbon around an embroidery hoop and let the tails of the knots dangle. You can leave the tails as they are, or you can glue or sew small felt shapes or buttons to the ends.