Let's Make Some Hanging Mobiles
Hanging mobiles are loved by babies and young children. But they can also be enjoyed by grown ups too. Mobiles that gently move in the breeze can be very relaxing to stare at. And can add lots of colour and interest to anyone's home.
A fun crafting project for both boys and girls. Personalise your hanging mobile to suit your taste.
Hanging mobiles make a lovely present too. They can be made from a wide variety of materials. From clay and balsa wood to beads and wires, let your imagine loose.
What We Need To Make A Heart Mobile:
- Wire for the hearts
- Thinner wire for attaching the hearts
- Coloured beads
- Bell for decoration
- Scissors
- Two lengths of balsa wood approximately 30cm long
- Paint and glue
To Start Making Our Hanging Heart Shaped Mobile
The first thing we need to do is start threading the wooden beads onto some wire. You can design the colours as you like. We will try and use 27 beads on each wire to make a heart shape.
If your beads are bigger or smaller, you might need more or less beads to make the shape you want.
It doesn't have to be the same. Your mobile will be interesting the way make it.
Make a Heart Shape
Next, we want to slowly start bending the wire around into a circle. Ask an adult to help if this is difficult for you. When we get close to a circle shape, we can start making it more into a heart shape. Make the bottom more pointy and make the top into the curved heart shape.
Take your time and slowly keep bending, until you like the shape.
Make a Loop For The Hanging Mobile
Now this can be tricky because some wire is difficult to bend tightly. Ask an adult for help if you need it.
Now twist the ends of the wires together and then form a loop. We can use this loop to hang the heart later. If you have a bell you can attach it onto one of the ends of the wires now. Cut off the left over wire or bend into around another piece.
We now need the two pieces of balsa wood to make a frame. Paint the wood in a matching colour first. Once the paint is dry, glue one piece on top of the other to form a cross shape.
How To Finish Our Heart Shaped Wooden Mobile
To finish, we need to cut four lengths of the thinner wire. Each length should be around 30cms long. Twist one end of the wire around the loop we made before. Wrap the other end around one end of the wooden cross frame. You can use glue to secure it to the frame.
Now we just need to make three more heart shapes and attach them to the other corners of the frame.
This project can take some time to make. But just relax and have fun slowly making each part. Many crafting projects are fun in the making part, not just in the finished item. So enjoy the making.
What other hanging mobiles could we make?
We could cut some funny car shapes out of thin sheets of balsa wood. We can then paint them bright colours and make another frame and hang them.
This would make a perfect gift for a new born baby.
Make some pretty flower from modelling clay. Roll out the clay and use a cookie cutting to cut the shapes. Paint and decorate and hang from the same type of balsa wood frame we made before.
These mobile can be great decoration for your room and are nice to watch while a breeze from a window gently blows them.
Have Fun Making Hanging Mobile
There are endless ideas you can come up with for your mobile. Plan it out and start making. Mobiles are great gifts for all ages from babies to grown ups.
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