Over Christmas you may think I was taking a break due to my lack of blog posting. But really I felt like one of santa’s little elves working towards a fast approaching deadline! You see my nephew, Will, decided to come a whole month early! And although he wouldn’t be coming home for weeks I definitely felt the pressure to finish the nursery in a hurry.
So, I am back to share another piece that I prepared for Baby Will to enjoy while he is being rocked in his brand “new” rocking chair- A balancing bird mobile!!!! I fell in love with this (below) while I was searching for inspiration online.
ADORABLE isn’t it!! It came as no surprise to me when I found out the brilliant minds from Anthropologie came up with the idea.
Here’s how I went about making my own version. . .
1. First I gathered scraps of cool modern fabrics in all kinds of colors, patterns, and textures.
2. Next I cut a pattern from plain old paper to make sure I had a shape I was happy with .
3. Then I got to work cutting out fabric, which led me to this. . .
4. Now it was time to sew and stuff. Ok, actually I am not a super skilled sewer and I felt like hot glue would work just as well. So that’s what I used. I hot glued all the edges and left a little opening big enough for my pinki finger to stuff some fluff.
5. At this point I felt the birds were looking a little too much like fish. So, I created a dart of sorts to curve the tail up which I liked much more.
6. Then after about four hours, 11 birds were done. This probably could be done much faster, but I was doing quite a bit of troubleshooting to make sure the final product turned out perfect.
7. The next step was to find some branches and then strip the bark off them. Or you could leave it if you like.
8. Next I commissioned my talented husband to balance it all with eye hooks and fishing line. This step is great for people who enjoy figuring things out and using their brain. Sometimes, I’m just not into that! But Tim is always up for a brain bending challenge. And I thought since this was his nephew too, it was high time for Tim to get involved!
Tim says the key is to start out balancing the branches and not to worry about the birds (because they weigh significantly less than the branches). Tim would lightly hold the branch in his fingers until he found the exact spot to place an eye hook. Even a 1/4 inch can make a big difference at this point. The branches don’t have to be perfect, just close.
After you have accomplished this feat begin to add birds. Obviously the amount of birds you use and their placement on the branch are key. Just play with it until you have the look you desire.
Here’s how ours turned out!
Although this project took a total of 5 1/2 hours, the cost and cuteness kind of makes up for it!!
birds (fabric scraps, hot glue, very little stuffing)- maybe $2
branches- FREE
eye hooks and fishing line- $2
TOTAL- about $4!!!!! SO WORTH IT!!!
I loooooove this!!!
-D
This is really cute! I’m thinking about adapting it into a grown-up hanging art piece thing, since I have no nursery. :o)
Do you think it would be OK to use birdies from a crafts store? I have very little patience with intricate sewing, and zero coordination with a hot glue gun. But maybe some vintage and new faux birds? And maybe little nests?
Did you just hot glue the birds to the branches??
Just love this project – so beautiful and clever.
I’m sooo going to attempt this for my friend who is having a baby this summer. She would love it. Would you be able to share your bird patterns?
i love this!
Hey Amanda,
Let me see if I can get around to scanning in the bird pattern. I am not making any promises, but I will try!!! 🙂 Have a great day, and I would love to see a pic of your mobile when you finish it!
This is so cute! I MUST make one too!
Hello,
Did you hot-glue the birds to the branches? If not, how did you attach them?
I did use hot glue, love that stuff!
hi! i just found your blog and am in-love!! you have such a gift for design! SO this might seem like a stupid question but how did you attach this to the wall? or did you attach it to the ceiling? I didn’t know if the fish hook and string were just for the branches to be connected or for the whole thing to be connected to the wall? Sorry if this is stated above, i couldn’t find it.
I went to Argentina last summer on a missions trip and got some pretty sweet fabric birds so i want to utilize those!! Ill post pictures 🙂
Also when i’m more confident in my crafting skills my goal is to try the mason jar light fixture. sooo cool!!
Hey Marin,
I just used an eye hook and screwed it into the ceiling. The whole thing is really light, so that’s all you really need. 🙂 So glad you like the blog! 🙂
This is adorable. You have inspired me to make my first EVER DIY project. Once I complete the project I’ll send you pictures if you like, just let me know where you would like them sent. I don’t have any scrap fabric but I am hoping that the shops might have some stuff lying around that they are willing to donate. When you are stripping the branches do you just use a knife to take off all the bark? How exactly do you strip the branches?
Keep up with the Blog I LOVE IT!
Hey Erin! I am so glad you are inspired to take on your first DIY project!!! That’s awesome! You can send finished photos to my e-mail (kara.paslay@gmail.com) or post them on Kara Paslay Design’s facebook wall! I used a couple of branches that had been sitting in the weather for a while, so the bark basically fell off. I highly recommend that otherwise you might get frustrated. You could also choose to spray the branches with sliver spray paint to avoid some work but still get a great look!