Happy February everyone. I have been crazy busy with so many projects that I haven’t had time to post any of my DIY’s lately. I hope to change that this month with a few little easy projects to share with you all soon, starting with this little mobile.

If you don’t needle felt, then you can buy these little felt beads just about anywhere online or at most craft stores. You can also replace them with little pom poms that every dollar store has available.

 

Supplies needed:

Wooden dowel or twig

Glue

Needle and thread

Yarn

Felt-assorted colors

Mini wool felt balls or pompoms

Assortment of wooden beads

Scissors

White acrylic paint

Small paintbrush

Once you have all your supplies the rest is fairly simple. Don’t forget the little ones, no matter what skill level. They can always paint the twigs you will be hanging your mobile from if nothing else. It will start building that confidence in them early on in life. It’s also fun to go out in nature exploring for those twigs. If you don’t live close to woods then find a local park or friendly neighbor with trees. As always collect twigs off the ground.

Step 1- I usually start with the painting part, that way it will be nice and dry when you are ready to attach your strings to it. Find the size twig you like and paint it completely. If you are following the design I did then use white. The bright colors against the white are a nice contrast. Otherwise get creative and paint whatever you like. You could also wrap yarn around your twigs instead of painting. Just glue yarn in place once wrapped at the ends.

Step 2- cut out an assortment of hearts in different colors with your felt. I needle felted my hearts then I stitched some white thread around them. You can do this with regular felt as well or cardstock.

Step 3- gather all the supplies you will be using to string your strands with. I like to put the beads side by side to see how the colors look together before I start adding them to a strand of yarn.

Step 4- Start stranding your beads and hearts onto a strand of yarn. I would strand a heart with beads then tie off and start another strand at the end of the heart then tie off and start another until I had the length I liked. You will need at least 3-4 strands of hearts and beads to add to your twig. The more strands the prettier and fuller the mobile.

Step 5- Optional step- for more detail; add little wooden beads to the centers of all your hearts both front and back. You can add smaller hearts, buttons, pompoms, and just about anything small enough to fit on your heart pieces. It just adds extra color to me.

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Step 6- Start attaching your strings to the twig making sure to secure the ends with a little glue at the end. I also add a little glue between the strands of yarn where the hearts and beads are tied off and attached.   Once finished you can hang up for Valentines Day.

Special note- this is another fun fine motors project. When stringing the beads be careful around the needles and have an adult tie off the strings between each heart and bead attachment, so as not to cause any frustrations or meltdowns. Sort the beads by colors and sizes before attaching to strands. Make your lessons fun and your children will remember these memories and retain the info. I can never express this enough, always include everyone, and find something that all levels can work on. You will be surprised at what children are capable of if you just give them a little nudge now and then.

Coming soon-

Dollar Day do over-crayon candles

Orange marmalade( hopefully my husband and son will make some soon to share with everyone, my aunts birthday is coming up)

We are past due on a trip to the little red house, been having to deal with some things here in the city. As long as the weather stays warm and there are no snowstorms that is.

And lots of DIY’s. I am back to feeling creative again.