Tutorial: Wire Mobile

Here's the simple but fun mobile that I made for the nursery.  The girls love to watch it while they're getting a diaper change or just lieing in their cribs.  Especially when I give it a little tap to make it spin and dance.  You really could make one for just about any room by simply changing the embellishments -- think colored circles, tiny felt birds, butterflies, planes -- you name it!


So, want to try one?  Here's what you need:

• Floral wire (I used 24 gauge, something a little heavier would be okay, it depends on how airy you want the mobile to look)
• Latex balloons
• Embellishments (I used paper flower cutouts from the scrapbook section of the craft store, but the possibilities are endless here!)
• Low temp glue gun

First, blow up the balloon to the size you want the finished sphere.

Here's my helper!

Now, start to wrap the wire around the balloon, twisting the end back over itself to hold it in place.

 

Continue wrapping the wire around the balloon, covering the surface.  Use the glue gun to hold the wire together and keep it from slipping off.  (Hint: Push in on the balloon directly under the glue for a few seconds until it cools, to keep the wire from sticking to the balloon)

Place a flower over each glue spot to hide it as you go.

When you are satisfied with the amount of wire you have around the balloon it's time to cut the wire and finish it off.   Wrap the end back over itself like you did at the beginning.

Now comes my little helper's favorite part -- pop the balloon!

Notice where the glue stuck to the balloon and pulled the wire in when it was popped.  You'll need to pull all the balloon bits off the wire, and reshape it slightly to get your sphere.  I like to push some of the wire in to get a more complex, deeper look, and not such a hollow shell.

To finish, simply glue more flowers on until you have the look you want!  They're so easy, and a fun thing to do with friends, or while watching a movie...  I worked on my while Steve studied and we listened to some Tiger football

So go make some!  Or two, or seven!  Try a huge one, or maybe a cluster of 5 tiny ones?  I made a set of 3, each slightly smaller than the one before.  I'll share some more pics once they're hanging in the nursery.  (Fishing line works really well to hang them -- they look like they're floating.)

Speaking of the nursery, I promised myself I would have it finished by Joy's 1st birthday.  And it's done!  Only 3 days late (or a year and three days, depending on how you look at it...)  I can't wait to share some photos!

nursery, baby quilts, and ideas needed

 Now that the "new baby" is almost a year old, I am finally getting the nursery ready!  She and A share a tiny room, so there's not a whole lot I could do.  I am still planning on repainting at some point -- the green I had in there for JL doesn't work with the new pink things that have moved in since the girls came.
Some projects move exceedingly slowly around here...

Anyway, here are the new touches in the "girl's room:

Wire mobile over J's crib (tutorial coming)

 

Bird mobile over A's crib

I also finished the bumper I made to match J's new quilt (more on that later)

 There are some more changes coming, following that paint job...
Maybe once I'm done with the garden for the year!

So, on to the quilts.  I have made a quilt for each of my little ones.
Here they are:

~JL's little farm boy ~

 

 

and Little Man himself!

 

 I used all quilting cotton for the Irish Chain pattern, then a wide variety of texture for the animals. I wanted him to really be able to explore texture with it.   It was lots of fun!

~A's tulips~ 

 

 I wanted a something warm and cozy for her, so I used a fine corduroy for the front, with appliqued flannel tulips and a variety of ribbons for the border.  The backing is also flannel.  I didn't want something completely pink either.  This was my first try at machine quilting!

J's I couldn't start until after she was born, since we didn't know if she was a boy or a girl!  And then somehow time just slipped away from me, until here it is almost a year later.  I am determined to have it done for her first birthday, and it almost is.  I had so much fun with all of them, but I think J's is my favorite so far.

~J's love birds~

  

 

 For hers I used a mixture of quilting cottons, flannel, corduroy, and seersucker.  The backing is an adorable flocked muslin I found that finishes it off just perfectly.

The only thing left is to attach my layers.  But I don't know what to do! 
Hand quilting?  nice, but so slow!
Tieing?  all those little ties might be cute...
Machine quilting?  but how, exactly?  would I go around all the applique, or just stitch right over them?

 So, I need some advice.  What should I do with it?  I just have one more month til her birthday!