DIY Butterfly Mobile

It's finally done!  Another pin completed!

 

I saw this mobile on Pinterest & decided to try my hand at making it for Baby M's nursery, knowing it would coordinate with the Beatrix Potter decor really well:)

 

I would like to go on record as saying this project was a labor of love & not for the faint of heart, however it was 100% free so very satisfying:)

I discovered this wire frame next to a neighbor's recycling bin right before we moved and snagged it in hopes of reproducing a Pottery Barn style canopy for Livy's bedroom- ended up buying that at IKEA so it sat in my craft pile until I saw the butterfly mobile pin:)

I think the frame was originally part of a lamp shade as it was very sturdy and had a 'dip' on one side- I simply attached my wire to the side and had no problem with balance.

Then I cut a ton of butterflies (2 at a time using the Stampin' Up! Bigz Butterfly die & the Sizzix Big Shot) out of "very vanilla" & "pink pirouette" card stock.

I then attached 4 butterflies to lengths of transparent thread with mini glue dots- the original tutorial calls for fishing line which might be easier to work with...the transparent thread was very fiddly but I had it on hand:/

 

Then I found some pale pink tulle (leftover form our wedding!), cut into short pieces and began tying onto the frame...

Almost 10 minutes of cutting & tying resulted in this much of the frame covered...sigh...

...so speeding things up a bit, I had half the frame covered in about 30 minutes- I placed my knots very close together to make it as full as possible.  The original version was not near as full so its based on personal preference/materials.

Peanut entertained herself by hiding in the mounds of chocolate tulle from our wedding...

...that will be utilized for her next birthday:)

 Phew!  Finally done & Livy discovered Baby's mobile made a great base for a hat:)

Next I began attaching the strings of butterflies, fluffing, straightening, fussing etc...

...and  found balancing the mobile frame on the backs of 2 dining chairs very helpful in this step.

 Then I tied some tulle around the frame in 4 spots, made a knot and attached to a hook in the ceiling, above Baby M's crib...

 ...here is the view from the crib...

 ...and here is the view from the glider where we will be spending a lot of time:)

I'm really hoping Baby M enjoys this DIY creation- it was made with much love:)

 For full details, check the original tutorial- I tweaked a bit for my supplies.

Cost: FREE!

Happy creating,

Tiffany