How to Make Homemade Mobiles for a Baby's Room

Draw the silhouette of a bird, butterfly or any other animal or shape, on a piece of cardboard or poster board. Make the shape 2- to 3-inches in size. Cut out the silhouette to make a template. Use the template to trace the shape onto pieces of felt. Cut the felt shape out. Repeat tracing and cutting out additional felt shapes until you have eight cutouts.

Draw a second silhouette on more cardboard or poster board. Make it the same or a different shape from the first template. However, this time, make the shape 3- to 4-inches. Cut out the silhouette to make a second template. Use the template to trace the shape five more times onto felt. Cut the shapes out to create six cutouts.

Decorate all the cutouts, as desired. For example, use fabric paints, buttons, glitter glue and ribbon to add details to the cutouts. Add patterns to butterflies, eyes to animals or sparkle to stars. Let any paint or glue dry overnight.

Apply hot glue to the end of a piece of ribbon. Press the ribbon to the side of a 6-inch embroidery hoop. Wrap the ribbon around the hoop, overlapping the ribbon on each pass. When you reach the starting point, apply hot glue to the back of the ribbon and press it against the hoop. Cut away the loose ribbon.

Repeat with a second piece of ribbon and a 10-inch embroidery hoop.

Cut eight pieces of 8-inch clear fishing line and six pieces of 12-inch clear fishing line. Thread one piece of the 8-inch fishing line onto a darning needle. Pass the needle through the top center of one of the smaller cutouts. Tie a knot in the fishing line. Repeat the process with the remaining 8-inch pieces of fishing line and the remaining 2- to 3-inch cutouts.

Repeat with the 12-inch pieces of fishing line and the larger cutouts.

Tie the loose end of the fishing line to the embroidery hoops. Place the larger cutouts on the smaller hoop and the smaller cutouts on the larger hoop. Space the fishing lines evenly around the hoops. Apply hot glue to the top of the hoops, covering the fishing lines to secure them.

Cut four pieces of 8-inch fishing line. Tie one loose end of each piece to the large hoop. Place the lines at the 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-o'clock positions. Apply hot glue on top of the hoop to secure the lines. Tie the other end of fishing line to the smaller embroidery hoop, using the same positions that you did for the larger hoop. Secure the fishing line with more hot glue.

Cut four more pieces of 12-inch fishing line. Line up the ends of the four pieces. Fold them over 1-inch to create a loop. Tie a knot in the end to secure the loop. Tie the loose ends of the fishing line to the larger embroidery hoop, spacing them evenly around the hoop. Secure them with hot glue.