Up Up and Away! Mobile tutorial and pattern!

So first let me show you how I put together this simple wooden mobile hanger.

See below for the rest!

You’ll need:

One 2″ wooden block
3/8″ dowel cut to 9″ length…of course you can go longer or shorter if you prefer!
2 of those circle things that screw into wood. (I know, so descriptive…they had them at Target for $1 or so)

It’s very easy to make, and even easier with awesome tools that my Dad has in his wood shop. I used his drill press to drill 1/2″ into four sides (drew an X with pencil from corner to corner to make sure I was right in the middle!), using the 3/8″ drill.

Then I used a drill bit small enough for the circle things you screw into wood, and drilled into the other two sides (the length of the screw part)

Then screw in the hooks to the hole you drilled.

I also drilled through the ends of the dowels, about 1/2″ from the end with the small drill bit.

Use a bit of wood glue to secure the dowels in the holes, and make sure the holes you drilled in the dowels are facing up and down! They should fit snugly.

Then I spray painted the whole thing (well, I taped off the metal things)…do you like my contraption? I MacGyvered a garden stake, safety pin, and some tape into this…and it totally worked! I was able to spray from all angles and let it dry safely.

Ok! Now onto the felt part. I made 5 clouds and 6 hot air balloons, so plan your colors accordingly.

You’ll need:

felt
the free pattern
matching embroidery thread, and needles (I used off white, brown, and coral for this one)
hot glue or fabric glue
poly fil
paper clips

First cut out 2 of all the pattern pieces (except the white “sky” part between basket and balloon. Only one of those.)

Then cut 4 pieces of brown embroidery thread  a bit longer than the sky part. Dab a few spots of hot glue like so making sure they are close to the edge, and glue the pieces down as shown. Fabric glue would work just as well and you won’t burn your hands as much. Me, I live on the edge so I used hot glue.

Then thread up a needle with 3 strands of the thread, and knot one end. (the other end hangs free) Sew a simple running stitch on the sides of the top panel, sewing it to the middle panel like so. Pinning helps keep it centered.

Then threading up the other color, do the same with the middle panel, sewing it to the bottom panel.

This is how I finish the ends, just make sure it’s not visible from the front…then snip it off. It doesn’t need to be super strong since it’s just hanging up.

Repeat for the other balloon side.

 Next sandwich the sky part in between the two baskets, and sew around the outside, again with a simple running stitch (though smaller than the balloon stitching.

Then pin the two balloon pieces together like so, with the basket sandwiched in the bottom of the balloon.

I sewed it together with a blanket stitch…I’ll try to explain as best I can but there are many youtube videos as well if you need a different visual.

So as the picture above indicates, start your stitches near the top of the balloon, off to the side a bit. Stitch down into the bottom of the balloon piece like so.

Then make a stitch down through the top, a little bit to the right like so.

Then come up with the needle  through the loop you created like so, then pull it tight.

Continue and it should look something like this…and then stitch around the whole thing, capturing the sky piece in the stitching as well!

When you get to the top again, stop your stitches and fill with a bit of poly fil. Not too much, just enough to give it some shape.

Now is where the paper clips come in, or in my case, I couldn’t find my stash, so I used some plastic scrapbooking letters. Cut a long piece (like 3 ft probably just to make sure it’s long enough) of white embroidery thread (all 6 strands) and tie one end to your scrapbooking letter paper clip.

Then stick it in the open top of your balloon like so and continue stitching it up (make sure the string comes out of the balloon straight or it will drive you nuts)

Next stitch together the clouds-with the blanket stitch. These are easy peasy…no layering involved! Also leave the top open like you did with the balloon, and fill with poly fil.

Then I threaded up the string coming from the balloon on a needle, and sewed through the bottom of the cloud and through the poly fil, out the top hole.

Grab another scrapbooking letter paper clip, and tie it where you want the cloud to hang. Sew up the cloud and you have your hanging piece! Repeat with the rest of the clouds/balloons. I did two balloons in the middle with a cloud in between.

Then when you’re all done stitching them up and have the placement how you like it, insert the thread into each hole, and tie a big ol knot to keep it from slipping out. Tie the center one around the circle metal thing of course.

You’re done! Well, of course, hang it up with some more embroidery thread or string. Ok..now you’re done!