Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts

diy: felt bird mobile


I have always loved birds. To me they represent freedom... flying free toward dreams... and always a symbol of calm and peace. It was natural for me to incorporate them into my little girl's nursery, beginning with a freshly painted, antique, yellow bird cage. I had long drooled over the many handmade mobiles on Etsy, and knew I could create the perfect feeling of freedom and peace for my little one with some scrap felt and yarn.



The process was simply, and took only a few hours to complete (over the course of many, many weeks). I stitched together hand-drawn, felt birds, stuffed them with batting, and strung them from an embroidery hoop wrapped with yarn.


The mobile hangs freely from a Command hook on the ceiling, and both hoops are adjustable in height. Adaleigh has loved the birds from the day I hung them in her nursery, which makes it all so worth it. After looking at mobiles for $100+, I'm quite pleased with the results!


Easy DIY felt bird mobile

 Supplies:

scissors
embroidery thread (in contrasting colors)
needle
felt (I used solid colors for the birds, and contrasting patterns for the wings)
yarn
embroidery hoop (I used 2 in different sizes to create a 2-tiered mobile)
ceiling hook (the Command stick hook has worked great and no tools needed!)


Step 1: cut desired shape from felt
Step 2: if creating birds, attach wings to felt birds using a backstich with contrasting embroidery thread
Step 3: attach two birds together using a blanket stitch around the edges. Just prior to completing the round, stuff with batting and finish stitching to complete the bird
Step 4: string yarn through the top of the birds and tie off, leaving plenty of yard to attach birds to hoop
Step 5: wrap yarn around hoop and tie off with birds at desired length from hoop
Step 6: after all birds are attached to the hoop, wrap yarn around the hoop. Conceal any tails from the previous step while wrapping
Step 7: if creating a second tier, wrap yarn around the additional hoop
Step 8: string yarn around hoops to hang from ceiling
Step 9: assemble hook to ceiling
Step 10: attach mobile to hook and let the birds fly!
diy mobile nursery
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superbaby!


Is he not the cutest Superman you've ever seen?!?



I didn't have the time to make Logan's first Halloween costume as elaborate as I would have liked, but this is what I came up with for less than $10 and only an hour of my Saturday afternoon (and a refusal to use my sewing machine). Honestly, I would have bought his costume this year for convenience, but I couldn't find anything to fit my little petite baby!




 I used a white onesie that we already owned (complete with a few stains around the collar from baby drool), and applied an iron-on Superman patch from Hobby Lobby. A blue onesie would have been more true to Superman's outfit, but white was already hanging in the closet.

I used a red Fuzzibunz diaper from our stash, which he wore without an insert over his real diaper and onesie. I used 1.5 inch yellow ribbon and created a belt using Tacky Glue and pre-cut velcro (previously purchased for paci clips).

I chose red fleece to make his cape, so that the unfinished cut edges wouldn't look quite so bad. It ended up being the perfect choice of material, as his cape doubled as a blanket at the windy fall festival we attended. I didn't use a pattern of any sort for the cape, only trial and error with my little baby model. I accordian folded each 2" end of the top and secured with Tacky Glue to give it a little dimension. I attached a zigzag red ribbon to the inside top of the cape with more glue, and loosely tied it around his neck.


The final accessory was a pair of red leg warmers from his sock collection (I believe they're made by Baby Legs?), over a pair of gray socks I put on him at the last minute for warmth.


I have to say, I'm a little proud of how cute it turned out given the very little effort I put into making it. I could have easily obsessed over every detail of his costume for weeks, but I'm so glad I didn't.

I can't wait to see all of the other adorable diy Halloween costumes!







diy halloween
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diy airplane mobile

Logan's nursery redo is almost complete, and I wanted to share one of the projects I am most proud of.  I never found a mobile I liked in my price range, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make one myself. It was simple, quick, and cost less than $5. Best of all, Logan loves it! The primary colors and spinning airplanes always catch his attention.

Here is the completed mobile, followed by step-by-step instructions (although it's pretty self-explanatory):



I started with MDF cutouts bought at Hobby Lobby. I bought 6 for less than $3! I wish I had taken a before picture of the planes, because they were an interesting pink/baby blue/neon green combination.


I painted each plane in a red/blue/yellow theme, using acrylic craft paint I already owned. I followed the original design, and painted several coats until I achieved the bold look I wanted. I chose to paint the back a solid blue for simplicity.


Once the planes were painted and dry, I used a small nail and hammer to create a hole in each plane. I placed the holes at the top just behind the wing, allowing the planes to fly straight once suspended. 



I also purchased a pack of simple wooden rods from Hobby Lobby and used white twine I already owned to suspend the planes. I used the twine to tie the rods together in a star pattern, and then used a piece of twine from the end of each rod to hang the planes. I left the twine long so that I could adjust the length of the planes once hung from the ceiling. By twisting the twine around the rod, I can adjust the planes in the future according to Logan's development (and ability to grab the mobile and pull it down on his head!). 


My husband also suggested cutting a notch into the both ends of the rods to hold the twine in place, but so far it hasn't been necessary. I chose the wooden rots and twine to give the mobile a simple, natural look, but you could also use a variety of other things- colored yarn, fishing line, a round piece for the mobile base, etc. I even bought a old mobile from Goodwill with the intention of using it as the base of my mobile, but decided against it. Instead I bought a ceiling hook from Lowe's for $1 and used another piece of twine around the center of the rods to hand it from the ceiling. The opportunities are endless!





Supplies used:

MDF Airplane cutouts
Wooden rods
Twine (or string, yard, fishing line)
Acrylic paint
Small paintbrush
Nail & hammer (for creating the hole)
Ceiling hook

Approximate cost: $5.00

Time: 30 minutes (not counting drying time for the airplanes)
airplanes baby diy
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