DIY Project: Modern Mobile

Finding time to get crafty when you have a little one running around isn't easy. I have enough trouble putting aside creative time sans kiddies. That's why I'm so happy to share my dear friend Heather's simple instructions for creating a simply modern lovely that your little one can wake up to every day. And for those of us without kids, I think this would look pretty cool in the corner of any room.

Heather, thank you for sharing your project with us. without further ado...

My hubby took our baby out so that I could have some alone time. I resisted the impulse to clean and instead decided to make something. This was a perfectly-sized project - it took me 2 hours (not including time to get the supplies). I started with 3 colors of thick paper, glue, fishing line (free - I think the shop owner was charmed when I walked into his tackle store with baby in a front pack), thin wooden dowels, scissors, hook (a tiny one that hand-screws into the ceiling), and the top of a cooking oil spray can (anything for shapes).

I cut the wooden dowel to make one longer bar and two shorter ones. Then I cut out the circle shapes and glued them back to back to increase thickness and make each side a different color. Poke a hole, loop fishing line through, and make a knot, then loop another circle through, knot (loosely because if you pull too hard the line warps). Tie the long strands of circles to each end of the shorter dowels and attach the shorter dowels to the longer dowel by tying fishing line around the middle of the shorter dowels and then to each end of longer ones. Use your teeth to double knot tightly so they don't move easily and then adjust until they balance.

I got all that done and then realized that I hadn't left enough fishing line to actually hang it from the ceiling. Never fear--I pulled out some dental floss and kept going. Nothing would stop me from getting this thing done and up in my 2 hour window of freedom.