DIY Baby Mobile Part 1

Trying my hand at a new fiber art

I’m in love with DIY stuff, obviously, and have always longed to learn how to sew. My hands have been cramping with all of the knitting I’ve been doing, so I thought this was a great time to switch it up. I’ve tried my hand at sewing and am making a little fiber forest of a baby mobile, out of felt and embroidery floss.

Why? Because it’s fun to learn new things. The pattern I found was adorable. And we might have a need for something like this down the road…but more on that later.

The pattern that I used for the DIY Baby Mobile was purchased on Etsy after hours of pinteresting and searching for one that I really liked. As a kid my obsession was bears – teddy bears, actual bears, anything bears. So this was a natural theme for me to pick up on for my own future little one…whenever they decide to come into existence.

DIY Baby Mobile Pattern

Pattern Store: Maisie Moo Pattern Shop
Pattern: Woodland Baby Mobile Pattern

Why this pattern? Aside from this little fiber forest of trees, bears, mountains and clouds being absolutely adorable, the instructions were easy to follow and the shapes simple enough for a novice like me to try my hand. It was an easy download and the pattern was affordable. That and like any millennial, I find it easier to search online for things rather than comb through actual pattern books and libraries…guilty as charged my friends.

To make my little fiber forest, I loaded Murphy into the truck (as my husband was trying to sleep for the night shift) and drove down to good old Joann Fabrics. It was a hot day so my time in the store was limited with Murphy being in the truck. I promise I crack the windows and keep a sharp eye on time to keep him safe and prevent overheating. He is my first child after all people.

I found the felt after some searching, I swear they moved it. Then I found the embroidery floss…then I realized I forgot a color of felt and it was running all over the store again. But I found everything that I needed and was able to make it out of there for about $10. Later I would find that I had purchased about twice as much felt and floss as I needed, so you could probably do it for under $5, especially with coupons. Oh, I already had the stuffing from another project which is probably the biggest ticket item.

Actually DIY-ing the baby mobile

Not going to lie, even though the pattern was simple, and provided clear instructions, getting started was a bit intimidating. I started with cutting the paper pattern pieces, then tracing them on the felt and cutting everything out with craft scissors.

I learned, from taking a second look at the pattern, that you need to actually separate out the strands of the embroidery floss for a thinner less noticeable seam, I wish I had seen this before shopping. Anyway…

The clouds looked relatively simple and they were sitting on top so I tried my hand at one of them first. As with any first attempt at anything, it wasn’t my best work and I was almost discouraged enough to stop the whole project. But my amazing husband gently urged me on and on I went.

After the first one, the pieces got easier and easier to sew and stuff…until I got to the bears legs but they turned out okay. Now I just have to get a mobile and try to hang these little furry woodland stuffed felt pieces. Stay tuned for DIY Baby Mobile Part 2.