Introduction: Heart Mobile
I love hearts and my babies love mobiles so I decided to make a little Valentine's mobile to hang for them. This is a quick and easy instructable for making one for you and your little ones xoxo
Supplies needed:
Heart doilies
Straws
Needle and thread
Supplies needed:
Heart doilies
Straws
Needle and thread
Step 1: Cut Straws
The only colorful straws I could find are bendy straws, so I trimmed off the bendy part.
Step 2: Thread Doilie to a Straw
There may be better ways to do this, but I built this mobile from the bottom up. So thread your needle, pierce through the straw, anywhere but center, then feed thread through the doilie and tie it off. Now you will have a heart that hangs from the end of the straw, like a tiny fishing rod with a heart at the end.
Repeat at the other end of the straw so you have two hearts dangling from either end. Length of thread need not be identical and actually looks better if it is drastically different.
Repeat at the other end of the straw so you have two hearts dangling from either end. Length of thread need not be identical and actually looks better if it is drastically different.
Step 3: Find the Balance Point
Now that you have a straw with two hearts hanging from it you need to find the blance point. I did this by placing the straw on my finger and moving it around until the straw balanced evenly. Make note of this spot because this is where you will insert your needle and thread (this time pointing up) to connect this tier of the mobile to the tier above it.
Step 4: Connect Tiers
At any point you can create a tier. You do this by selecting another straw and connecting the lower tier to the center of the new straw. Be certain to insert the needle and thread thru the balance point of the lower tier.
Step 5: Ways to Correct a Misbalanced Tier
One way to correct a tier that doesn't hang at the balance point is to cut your thread, repeat the finger balance step and try again.
Another way is to sew a couple of stitches along the straw until you reach the true balance point. Be sure to end your stitches going upwards.
Another way is to sew a couple of stitches along the straw until you reach the true balance point. Be sure to end your stitches going upwards.
Step 6: Top Tier Connect Long Thread for Hanging
When you've repeated the tier adding process to your satisfaction, you will need one last length of thread to use for hanging. Make this length very long, it's the one that will connect your mobile to the ceiling. I cut a small piece of cardboard from the doilie packet, stuck my needle and thread thru the center of it and wound the length around it over and over to keep it from getting tangled. This little cardboard now serves a double purpose- it helps keep everything untangled and you can use a push pin in to attach the entire mobile to the ceiling.
Be sure to connect this length of thread to the balance point of the top most tier (needle goes through the straw, from top to bottom if you stab the cardboard bit first, bottom to top if you stab the cardboard bit second)
Be sure to connect this length of thread to the balance point of the top most tier (needle goes through the straw, from top to bottom if you stab the cardboard bit first, bottom to top if you stab the cardboard bit second)
Step 7: Hang and Enjoy!
Unwind your thread and pin or tape the little cardboard piece to the ceiling.
Happy Valentine's day, babiez!
Happy Valentine's day, babiez!