When my sister announced she was pregnant last year, I knew I wanted to find the perfect present for my future nephew. There's so many cute baby things on the market today, from the unique gifts you find on Etsy and Not on the High Street to the weird and wonderful outfits to dress the tiny humans up in.
But when I saw other blogs' DIY Baby Mobiles, I knew I had found the perfect gift. Albeit a very difficult one.
I like to think of myself as fairly creative person.
I can sew okay... ish.
But I set the bar pretty high for myself when I set out to make the baby mobile. And then promised my sister and brother-in-law it too.
There was no turning back. This had to work.
Turns out, they're so much easier than I thought they would be. A quick online shop at Hobby Craft and I had bought everything I needed to make the baby mobiles for under £15.
My list included:
Various coloured sheets of felt, matching coloured threads, buttons, a strong white thread to hold the mobile from, a roll of thin white ribbon, an embroidery hoop and some stuffing (I used an old pillow for this).
And away we go.
DIY Dinosaur Baby Mobile Tutorial
To start with, get an idea of what you want to hang from the mobile, for example: clouds, animals, rain drops, shapes, etc. My sister had already mentioned a dinosaur theme.
Take a sheet of paper and get drawing. I created four little dinosaurs to hang from each thread. I found with four, it made the balance on the hoop easier. I then decided to add a couple of bones and a few leaves to the mix as well.
Go big or go home!
Cut the templates and pin to the felt before cutting them out. This is a long process but it gets easier!
After the shapes are cut, get sewing! If you go by this design and want spots on some of your dinosaurs, remember to cut out tiny circles and sew into them before sewing the sides together. The same for the eyes - use a sharpie for the black of the eye. When sewing, match the thread to the colour for an asthetically pleasing look. Or be a rebel and go for opposite colours.
The ridges on the back of the dinosaurs are optional and are added as you sew together the sides.
As you near the end of the sewing each dinosaur together (or whatever shape you have chosen), start filling them up gently with stuffing, making sure to fill all the little nooks and crannies. Then seal off, tuck the end of the thread inside the dino and repeat the process for each shape you have on your mobile.
The hoop! (side note: the embroidery hoop comes in two parts, the inner complete circle and the outer hoop with a tightener on. You only need the inner hoop)
You're gonna need a drill for this.
Find the smallest drillbit and sew four equally spaced holes into the inner hoop. Take your thicker white thread and start from the bottom up. Sewing in the dinos, tucking the start of the thread inside, then securing the leaves together with a button and then the odd bone. With excess thread, secure through the hole and tie a good knot. Repeat for all strands of the mobile.
Remember to hang the dino's in different lengths.
Finally, the ribbon. Cut two strands of the same length and squeeze through the drilled holes and secure with a small knot. The two strands will cross over at the top to hang the mobile from. Optional, you could either paint the embroidery hoop, which in hindsight I would do in future, or you can wrap ribbon around it and secure with hot glue. Or you can leave it plain.
The finished product is something to be proud of. My nephew is also smitten with it. The bright colours capture his attention and the different shapes keep him interested long enough for my sister to get things done.
My sewing skills also improved leaps and bounds through making the mobile too! And I've already got the next order; a woodland creature mobile.
Have you tried a DIY lately that you love, let me know! If you have any questions on the making of the mobile, just let me know in the comments!
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