DIY: White Rabbit Mobile

While I was planning my nursery, I kept coming across this beautiful butterfly mobile. I liked the fact that it was a little more mature than the stuffed animal mobiles that fit on the crib. It was something that could actually decorate the room when my little girl gets older, rather than just function as an infant mobile. I really liked the look of it, but I couldn't quite figure out how butterflies would fit the theme of my nursery. I started doing searches for Alice in Wonderland themed mobiles but all I could find were the gaudy stuffed kind. The closest I got was a cute little bunny mobile. And then it dawned on me, if I could make a mobile like the butterfly one, I could do it with little white rabbits instead of butterflies!

While reading blogs one day, I stumbled across this web page at Project Nursery that gave instructions for how to make your own butterfly mobile. I simply followed these instructions, making a few modifications of my own! (My modifications are in green.)

Supplies:

- 16″ embroidery hoop (bigger or smaller depending the size of your mobile) - I used a 14" hoop.
- (2) strips of 1/2″ balsa wood - These need to be LONG strips as you will need to divide the hoop in eighths.
- White acrylic paint
- Card stock paper
- A butterfly template made of heavier card stock - I used 3 different 3" rabbit shapes.
- Nylon thread and needle
- (17) medium size glass beads - I only used 13.
- (78) small glass beads - I only used 71.
- (1) small metal or plastic ring
- Glue gun, scissors, cutting mat and pencil

Directions:
1 .Use only the inside ring if the embroidery hoop (the one without the screw system).
2. Cut balsa wood into (4) strips to fit across the diameter if the hoop.
3. Glue these strips across the diameter of the hoop like a pie.
4. Paint the hoop and wood white.
5. Draw (95) butterflies on your choice of card stock paper using a butterfly template. - I only used 71.
6. Cut out each butterfly.
7. Cut (8) threads to your desired length to hang from the ceiling. Attach one end of the thread to the balsa wood and then attach the other end of the thread to the ring in the center.
8. Place a medium size glass bead onto the first butterfly. Tie a knot using a small size bead to thread the next butterfly leaving a space in between. Continue until all the desired butterflies are on one string. - Since my rabbits hang vertically instead of horizontally like the butterflies, I had to modify this a bit. I put a bead on the thread, then put the thread up through the bottom of the rabbit and out through the top.
9. Repeat process for each string. You should end up with (8) sections on the hoop attached to (8) strings on the outer circle with (5) butterflies on each string / (8) strings in the middle part of the hoop with (6) butterflies on each string / and (1) string with (7) butterflies attached to the center of the hoop. This creates the hanging chandelier effect. - I only did (4) strings in the middle part because it was looking too crowded if I used 8.
10. Lastly, glue some butterflies on the outside of the ring for a finishing touch! - I omitted this part.

I'm really happy with the way it came out! It's pretty long, so if I were to do it again I might make the rabbits a little closer together to shorten it a bit, but I really like the way it looks. It was super easy to make, and only took a couple of evenings to finish the entire thing! Plus, it cost me less than $20 to make since I already had some of the supplies on hand. You can't beat that!

DIY: Butterfly Mobile