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MAKE YOUR OWN HANGING MOBILES from Urban Arts
Do you know what a hanging mobile is? You must have seen them around or for sale in shops. They’re a decorative hanging ornament with pieces of string and objects attached to them. You hang them from the middle of the mobile onto a hook. They’re a bit like wind chimes and twirl around when there’s a breeze in the room.
Mobiles can be made with many things and you can be very creative in making your own designs. You can use simple paper shapes, small objects, ornaments, metal or anything you want.
This is an easy way to make a mobile and you can apply this technique to any design you want to use.
Cut 5 pieces of plain or colored string at slightly different lengths, say about 2-5 cm’s apart, the longest being up to 30 cm depending on how long you want the design to be. Get a plastic plate or piece of thin cardboard and cut the inside of the circle about 1 inch from the edge so that you have a large circle with a hole in it. Glue different shiny and colorful pieces of paper onto the plate or card, covering it completely. Then tie the 6 pieces of string in a double knot around the edge of the cardboard disc.
For the shapes you can use simple colored card or use plain card with different shiny paper or a mixture of different colors stuck on to it. You can also draw your shapes onto the card and paint them before you cut them out. You can do flowers, animals, fish, birds, cars, characters, abstract shapes or any theme you want. Pierce a small hole with a hole puncture or pair of scissors at the top of each shape and attach them to the different pieces of string by tying a double knot.
Finally, get 4 long pieces of plain or colored string and punch 4 holes on your disc, at the centre top, bottom, and 2 sides of the circle. Tie the string onto the disc and then tie the ends together in a knot with a loop at the top to hang your mobile with.
Once you’ve mastered the simple mobile design you can be as creative as you want. Use bits of string and material for the disc, unusual designs for hanging pieces, even small cutlery items or recycled materials. Children may also find this easy activity fun and it’s often used in arts and crafts workshops as a craft making project in sessions.
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