These instructions are only for the tent! Maybe it's just me, but I hate the way that exposed plastic mobiles look. The tent makes for a cute base for an assortment of nursery themes. As you can see, mine is a circus theme (I found the pattern for the elephants here) but this would also pair well with hot air balloons, nautical or whatever you can think of!

Baby mobiles can cost upwards of 40 dollars. I made this entire mobile for less than 10 dollars (not including the cost of the arm, which you can find here.) The entire project took about six hours, but the timeline could vary depending on your sewing experience and patience level.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

Scissors
Sewing Needle
Tape (or pins)
Pencil
Ruler

Materials:

Felt. I used 2 of the single 9x12 sheets, but you can also buy by the yard.
9" Embroidery Circle. You can find these in a variety of sizes at fabric or craft stores.
Thread
Paper

Step 2: Making the Pieces

Draw a 7" vertical line using your ruler on the piece of paper.

Draw a 3" horizontal line at the bottom of the vertical line you just drew (1.5" on either side.)

Draw diagonal lines from the top the vertical line to each end of the horizontal line to make a triangle.

Draw a half circle at the bottom of the triangle about an inch down. Getting a good curve can be tricky, I used the embroidery circle for guidance.

Cut out your pattern!

Tape or pin your pattern to the felt.

Cut out the felt pieces! You will need 12 (I am using 6 of each color, but you can use any combination you want.)

Step 3: Sewing the Pieces

Lay two pieces on top of each other.

Sew one straight edge of the pieces together starting at the top of the curve and ending at the point (I hand stitched each piece with a blanket stitch but feel free to use a sewing machine.)

Unfold the two pieces and lay them flat.

Line up the straight edge of a new piece (keeping your color pattern in mind) with an open edge of the piece you just sewed.
Sew starting at the top of the curve and ending at the point.
Repeat this step until you have attached all 12 pieces.

Once you have come full circle, literally,
Sew the open edge of the last piece you attached to the open edge of the original piece.

Flip your completed tent inside out so that the seams are on the inside.

Step 4: Attaching the Tent

Sew the embroidery circle to the inside of the felt tent using a whip stitch, at the inside corner of each piece and tightly around the embroidery circle. Reinforce the stitch multiple times, once is not guaranteed to hold it.

There will be 1 stitch at each seam, 12 in total. Don't worry about the positioning on the embroidery circle, you will be able to adjust this later.

Test the enforcement of your stitches once you have completed all 12, lift the tent from the point and make sure the embroidery circle stays in place by shaking it a few times. You don't want to risk it later when there is a baby underneath.

Adjust the positioning of the stitches until you are happy with the way the tent hangs.

And you're done!

Step 5: Finishing the Project

Now you can attach whatever you want to the embroidery circle, and attach the tent to whatever you want to hang it from!

I used quarter inch ribbon to tie on the "ornaments". You can also use string, yarn or fishing line.
I sewed the tent directly onto the mobile arm attachment. You could also create your own or suspend it from the ceiling!

You now have an original piece to add to your little one's nursery, or give away as a unique gift!