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Handicraft Instructions Baby Mobile
Swinging Fun Above Baby's Head: a Homemade Baby Mobile
A baby mobile is a fantastic accessory to capture your child's attention. You can hang it above your cot or changing table. Please note that we have developed separate crafting instructions for a pram mobile.
You can change these handicraft instructions for a classic baby mobile according to your wishes – Schnullerkettenladen's large handicraft assortment offers you many possibilities: For instance, we have used textile stars for the bead strands' ends. But you could also use little bells or textile hearts for finishing a string of beads without a knot. To hang up the mobile you could of course also use a pacifier clip instead of the suggested loop.
If you use crochet beads as in this example, it is recommended to widen the respective hole with a large needle for easier stringing. We have used a sack needle. But you can also use a carpet needle or another large needle.
Take enough time for making this craft project. It takes about 30 minutes and is recommended for more experienced handicraft enthusiasts. If you want to try a more simple handicraft instruction, we recommend checking out our instructions for pacifier chains with name. Also discover our other tutorials for baby accessories. Have fun creating your self-made baby mobile!
Interesting questions and answers about the baby mobile in advance
A mobile is a hanging accessory that moves when bumped or blown by the wind. A mobile intended for babies is usually hung in places where the child often spends time – for example, above the changing table or attached at the a pram’s hood.
Babies can already see at an early age. That's why it's a nice idea to hang a mobile for the child already in the first months of life. Good to know: At this age, children perceive bright colours better than delicate pastel shades.
A newborn baby is still learning about our world. So it observes its surroundings very closely. The mobile’s circling and swinging, the soft tinkling of a bell, fascinate babies.
This is particularly practical when changing nappies. The mobile can also keep the child busy, for example, on walks with the pram.
You have various options for attaching your self-made mobile. You can clip it on with a dummy clip, tie it on with two cord ends or use a loop to hang it up.
In any case, test the baby mobile’s secure hold.
Video Instructions for Making a Baby Mobile
The handicraft material you need for making a baby mobile:
The small tools you need:
needle and thread
large needle
scissors
lighter
tweezersHandicraft Material for Baby Mobiles:
Step 1: Experimenting With the Half Ring, Beads and Textile Stars
You'll probably enjoy this step a lot because it really makes your creativity sparkle: Arrange the half ring and all other elements such as beads, textile stars and little bells back and forth until you are satisfied with your baby mobile design.
We recommend using a safety bead each for both side strands and three safety beads for the middle strand. Each of these has a larger hole in which you can hide the knot.
Step 2: Stringing the Wooden Beads
We'll start with the middle strand: Double an approx. 60 cm long piece of PP-polyester cord. Slide a textile star over one of the cord's two ends until reaching the loop.
Slightly melt both cord ends with a lighter and roll both of them flat with your index finger and thumb. This makes stringing the wooden beads easier. Now string all wooden beads that are in front of the first crochet bead and if you want to a little bell as well.
Step 3: Preparing the Crochet Bead's Stringing
Stringing crochet beads is easier when stretching their holes slightly beforehand by using a big needle. We have used a sack needle for this. Our crochet beads are filled with cotton wool. That is why stringing them can sometimes be a little difficult, despite the prepared hole.
Step 4: Stringing the Crochet Bead
For stringing the crochet bead, we're using another little trick: Thread a piece of sewing thread into a sewing needle. Stick the sewing needle through one of the cord's ends and knot the thread. Now pull both cord ends through the crochet bead one after the other. And voilà: The crochet bead is strung!
Step 5: Stringing the Remaining Beads as well as the Half Ring
As described in steps 2 to 4, string the middle strand's remaining wooden beads and crochet beads.
When stringing the half ring, you can use the sewing needle's blunt tip to push the cord from below if necessary. String a lens bead after the half ring.
Now let's prepare the first safety bead's stringing: Use both cord ends to make a simple knot on the lens bead. This knot will stabilise the safety bead. String the safety bead with its smaller opening first. Push the safety bead over the knot. Alternatively, you can proceed as follows: Pull strongly with one hand at each cord end until the safety bead slides over the knot with its smaller opening.
Leave a part of cord blank for the loop with which you will hang up the finished baby mobile. After these few blank centimetres, make a tight double knot.
Step 6: Finishing the Middle Strand
In order to finish the loop without knots, we're sing two more security beads. String one safety bead with the larger opening first and push it over the double knot.
String a second safety bead with the larger opening pointing outward. Make a tight double knot. Shorten the ends of the cord with scissors. Fuse the knot with a lighter. If necessary, push it with tweezers into the opening of the safety bead until it is no longer visible.
Step 7: Making the Side Strand
Prepare your first side strand up to the half ring by stringing fabric star, wooden beads and crochet beads as described above.
For stringing the half ring through the side holes, we recommend using a small stringing aid. Tie a piece of satin cord to one of the ends. It is narrower than the PP-polyester cord as well as a little more flexible. That's why it's relatively easy to push it from the bottom to the half ring's side exit hole. If necessary, you can also pull the satin cord out of the side hole with a sewing needle or tweezers.
This way, you'll pull one of the PP-polyester cord ends through the half ring.
Step 8: Stringing the Half Ring
The second cord end cannot be strung by using the satin cord trick anymore, because the hole has become too narrow due to the first cord end.
Instead, you can melt the second cord end with the lighter and roll it narrow between thumb and forefinger. Then push the cord end through the half ring's lower hole and push it with the sewing needle. Alternatively, you can use the lighter to slightly weld the second cord end to the first.
Step 9: Fixing the Side Strand's Safety Bead
Now string a lentil bead, just like you did when making the middle strand, and make a simple knot on it. Then string a safety bead with the larger opening pointing outward.
With a little force, push the safety bead over the knot. Alternatively you can proceed in this way: Pull strongly with one hand at each cord end until the safety bead slides with its smaller opening over the knot.
Step 10: Finishing the Side Strand
Make a double knot. Weld properly the lighter, just as you did before. Press the knot into the larger opening of the safety lock. A pair of tweezers can help you here.
Step 11: Making the Final Bead Strand
Simply repeat steps 7 to 10 for the second side strand.
And you're done! Lift up your finished home-made baby mobile by the loop and see how beautifully the bead strands swing back and forth. We wish your baby lots of fun with your new handicraft work!
Important Notes for Using Baby Mobiles
Special care should always be taken in regards to baby accessories. Therefore, please observe the following notes regarding the use of your self-made baby mobile:
Advantages of Using a Baby Mobile
These crafting instructions provide you with real added value, because baby mobiles are very popular with parents for several reasons. Mobiles playfully promote the little ones' perception and ability to concentrate. Various interesting, colourful elements attract the children's attention and make them look at the dangling strands with excitement: ringing bells, soft textile stars, colourful wooden beads and a pretty half ring being the mobile's core.
If you make your own baby mobile, you can design it according to your personal preferences: Use colours and motifs that match the children's room and give the baby a special joy when looking at it. The result: The child laughs happily, bringing a smile to the parents' faces as well.
