diy rainbow paper mobile

Today's tutorial is brought to you by Erin from Sugar Crumbs. Enjoy!

A few years ago, I was pregnant and feeling nesty.  Which, of course, led to an obscene amount of crafting. And when the time came for me to decorate the nursery, I knew I wanted it to be the most DIYed room of the house.

And it was. 

While I loved all of the projects that came together in that room, my absolute favorite was {and still is} my DIY Paper Mobile.

Not only was this project inexpensive but really easy too.  Want to try making one of your own?  Let’s do it!

You’re going to need a few things.

·        2 dowel rods.  I used dowels rods that were 12” long.

·        Paint and paintbrush {optional}

·        Hot glue gun and glue.

·        A small length of yarn.

·        2” circle punch.  You can use other sizes but I used a 2.”

·        Cardstock in a variety colors.

·        Fishing line

·        A sewing needle

Step One. Paint your dowels. This step is optional.  For this tutorial, I’ve chosen to leave the dowel as is.

Step 2.  Mark the center of each dowel.  Use a drop of hot glue to secure them together in an “X.”  With a length of color coordinating yarn, wrap around the cross point to secure it. Tie the ends in a knot and clip the extra yarn off.

Step 3.  Figure out what you want your mobile to look like.  The mobile I made has a center strand and 3 strands on each arm.  When I planned it out, I made a chart that looked like the picture above.  This helped me stay organized and to visualize the cascade.

Step 4. It’s time to start punching out your circles.  Save yourself some time later and arrange them in their strand orders.  This is the perfect time to pop on your favorite show and grab a drink because you’re going to be punching out a lot of circles.

Step 5. It’s time to create your mobile’s strands!  Cut a long length of fishing line and tie a knot at one end.  Use the other end of the fishing line to thread your needle.  Starting with the bottom circle, push your needle through the center of the paper. Allow it to drop down the fishing line and onto the knot you made.

Once the circle is resting on the first knot made, you’re going to make another knot. I used two fingers as a guide for how much space to leave between knots.  Push the needle through your next circle and repeat.

Repeat until you’ve completed a full strand. 

Keep doing this until you’ve made all of your strands.  Be sure to lay them down neatly and away from each other as it is easy for them to get tangled at this point.

Now for the fun part.  Let’s do the final assembly.  This part is pretty simple.

Step 6.  Leaving 3” of line between your top circle and the dowel rod, tie the line in a knot around the rod.  Apply a drop of hot glue to the top of the knot to keep it from shifting on the rod.  Clip off any extra line.  Repeat until all strands are hung.  I found it easier to start in the center and work my way out.

Step 7.  Thread the fishing line through the yarn in the cross section of the dowels and make a large loop by tying the ends together in a knot.  Hang and enjoy.

That’s all there is too it!  I’ve really enjoyed making rainbow mobiles but I think some fun ombre colors would be awesome or maybe even some patterned paper.  I hope you enjoy making your own Paper Mobile.

If you decide to make a mobile, I’d love to see it! Feel free to email pictures to me at YaySugarCrumbs@gmail.com.

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