Just before Fisher was born, I completed a whimsical bird mobile to hang above his changing table. I thought he was coming early, so I had everything done for work and needed a project. My mama was in town and volunteered to help me. It was really fun crafting with her and chatting about the impending arrival. Birds are hot right now for whatever reason, and I’ve seen some amazing bird mobiles on the web and especially on Etsy. I wanted something that really fit with the colors of the nursery and would fascinate my babe during diaper changes.
At Michael’s and Hobby Lobby I picked out fun scrap book paper with lots of bright colors. I created a bird template that would look good from the bottom and the side. We traced the template onto each sheet of paper. My mom discovered that we could fold each sheet of paper and cut four birds at a time.
Here is the template. Note the accordion fold on the scrap book paper above.
We ended up with lots of birds. In order to make them stiff enough for flight but still flexible enough for great movement, we employed my old stand by, Mod Podge.
We paired up each bird and spread the backs with Mod Podge, using foam brushes. We then stuck the 2 sides together and set them aside to dry.
After they dried we trimmed off any excess paper and poked 1 hole in each wing with an embroidery needle.
We cut varying lengths of fishing line and threaded them through the holes in each wing, creating a loop to hang each bird. I would suggest using a very light line. Ours was thick and it made things challenging.
I found a branch that seemed perfect about a month before and let it dry inside our house. We covered it with polyurethane and trimmed off the unsightly bits. We hung it from the ceiling using ceiling hangers and more fishing line.
We then draped each loop around a branch until the birds hung in a desired formation.
Here is the finished product. I ordered a bright orange changing pad cover from Etsy and it looks even better with the mobile.
Fisher is starting to notice the birds as I gently tap the mobile before diaper changes. It distracts him enough to keep him entertained which helps me to get the job done.
Check out his view from below.
So fun, right?
How do you keep a baby happy during diaper changes?
I’m sharing this project at some great link parties. Check them out on my right sidebar.
