Wallpaper Origami Crane Mobile

Let's not beat around the bush, babies are expensive little things. The baby-wear market is huge and growing, everyone wants to cash in. I have a problem spending money on things that I'll only have for a short time and I don't like exposing my children to the marketing of the corporate entertainment giants. This DIY project allows you to make a beautiful mobile with minimal cost and resources. When you're done with it you can simply recycle the paper and send the sticks back to the backyard (or park, or wherever you got them).

What you'll need:

A drill
5 squares of wallpaper scraps or Japanese paper (colour of your choice)
Needle and thread
2 meters ribbon (width and colour up to you)
2 sticks (minimum width 1 cm)
2 eyelet hooks and 1 nut
Carpenter's glue (for good measure)

Step 1 - Collect Your Sticks

As mentioned above the sticks should be wide enough that you can drill a small hole through the centre and either end. One stick should be longer than the other so that your hanging cranes don't get tangled. Clear the sticks of bark, the drier the stick the easier it will be to remove the bark.

Step 2 - Drill Holes

The hole has to be big enough for the hook to clear. The size of the hook will be indicated on the package and you use that same measurement for the drill bit. The holes on either end can be smaller as you will be threading a needle through those. Feed the hook through the centre holes of the sticks making sure that the longer stick is on top.

Step 3 - Fold Origami Cranes

Unless you've been lucky enough to get one-on-one training with origami, the instructions can seem very complicated  Click here for a pretty comprehensive tutorial.

Step 4 - Attach Cranes

Now you can attach the cranes to the outer edges of the sticks by threading through holes. Wrap around many times to make it extra secure and safe for baby.  They should dangle but always keep in mind the total height of mobile. You want it to hang over crib but never be low enough that baby can reach it once they are able to stand. The fifth crane will be threaded through the nut, which will then be attached to the bottom of the hook, thereby securing the sticks. You can further strengthen everything by dabbing some carpenter's glue (or white craft glue) to the bolt and the edges where the thread meets the sticks.

Step 5 - Attach Ribbon

Attach the ribbon to both hooks. Triple check your height and adjust ribbon length accordingly. Once you have decided the length, you can further secure the knots at either end by sewing them. I wrapped the screws with ribbon to soften the look, this is optional.

Now screw top hook to ceiling.