HOW TO MAKE: HANGING CHANDELIER MOBILE FOR BABY NURSERY

I've had my eye on a Pottery Barn baby mobile for years but didn't want to spend $59 or more and besides it's discontinued anyway. Even handmade ones on Etsy are $45 or more. So I had to make one myself for under $20! 

This is the one I made for our baby's room.

What you'll need:

14" - 16" embroidery hoop (bigger or smaller depending on how big or small you want the mobile to be)

acrylic paint and brush, if desired

scissors
card stock or other craft paper & shape template or shape punch
OR
die-cuts

nylon thread or fishing wire

hot flat iron for hair (just trust me)

needle

small glass beads

1 small metal or plastic ring, 1" or larger

ceiling hook

You can do whatever shape you desire: butterflies, birds, circles, airplanes, cars, hearts, animals, rain drops, etc. or even a mixture of shapes like I did. 

Use only the inside hoop of the embroidery hoop, the one without the screw.

Paint the hoop both inside & outside with acrylic paint, if desired.

All of these measurements are approximate so feel free to do what you want.
When dry, take 4 pieces of the nylon thread measuring approx 48" each. The nylon thread will want to curl, so whip out your hot flat iron and quickly run it across each string a few times to make it straight(er). This will allow approx 1' from the ceiling. Take the first thread and measure to 14". Tie a knot at a starting point on your hoop. Then string it  directly across the hoop. Tie another knot and leave the ends free until later. Taking another 48" piece of nylon thread and at 14" make another knot onto the hoop but this time it will be approx 6.5" from your starting knot. Each knot will then be approx 6.5" from each knot making it look like sections of a pie. Tie the ends to the hoop. Repeat until all 4 pieces are knotted to the hoop. 

Take the loose ends and one at a time, secure it with a triple knot to the 1" or larger metal ring. This is the top of your mobile.

Cut out desired amount of shapes, you can always go back and cut out more. You'll need at least 95 pieces if using 4 anchor "pie sections" strings.

Cut 17 or more of varying lengths of the nylon thread. The smallest should be no less than 12" in length.

To get a chandelier effect, the outside pieces should be smaller and gradually get longer towards the middle of the circle. Example: If you're smallest length of thread is 12", then you'd make 8 - 12" pieces, 8 - 15" pieces and 1 - 31" piece. Finished mobile will hang down to the lowest point of approx 32" from the ceiling.

Tie a knot onto a glass bead, cut off excess and thread with a needle through your first shape. Or using a needle, poke a hole through the shape or die-cut and then thread the fishing wire through it. Depending on how big your shapes are, make some space in between the next bead you thread and knot then the shape and repeat until you have a few inches up top in excess to tie later. 

Repeat process for each string except for the longest middle string, look for further directions below. As you finish each string, group them according to size to make it easier to string up to the hoop later. The longest string is what will hang in the middle and also as another support from the hanging metal ring. So, if desired for extra support," leave at least 13" from the top of your hanging shapes from that particular string. This is the only string you'll have to do that for. 

Starting with the longest string, tie a triple knot at approx 13" from the top to the middle of the "pie" then tie the very top of the string to the metal ring. 

TIP: At this point, it might be a little easier to hang the mobile so that you can see what you're doing as a you finish off each string to the mobile. 

Now take a 15" piece and tie the top of the string to the middle of one of the pie sections. Continue the process with the remaining 15" pieces.

At this point, you should only have the 12" pieces left. Take a 12" piece and tie the top of the string to one of the knots on the hoop. Continue the process with the remaining 12" pieces around the hoop. 

And that's it!