Nursery mobile

For more information, visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au/galleries-museums. Keep up to date with what’s happening by subscribing to our Galleries & Museums NOW newsletter.

Sleep around the world

Remember these are just guidelines. If you can find something better in your house or out in nature, use that!

Mobiles as we know them, are hanging and moving objects that put babies to sleep. However, they are more originally associated with the phenomenon of ‘kinetic art.’ Artist Alexander Calder is often credited with the modern incarnation of the mobile, and we invite you to create your very own!

Materials

• Larger sticks (15 - 20cm long)

• Scissors • Coloured paper/scrap paper • Nature finds e.g. leaves; shells; pine

cones; flowers; twigs • Ruler • Material for tying e.g. string; yarn;

vines; material strips • Hole puncher • Stencils • Glue

Nursery mobile

For more information, visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au/galleries-museums. Keep up to date with what’s happening by subscribing to our Galleries & Museums NOW newsletter.

Sleep around the world

Instructions

Cross your larger sticks over one another to form the top of your mobile. This could be in the shape of a cross, a square, or even a star!

Wrap string/material/yarn around the joins of the sticks to secure them. On the underside, tie off a knot. Cut any leftover hanging string.

Once the top of your mobile is secure, you can start cutting pieces of string to tie onto the sticks. Cut up to 12 pieces of string to about 25cm each, and tie one end of the string to the mobile.

Nursery mobile

For more information, visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au/galleries-museums. Keep up to date with what’s happening by subscribing to our Galleries & Museums NOW newsletter.

Sleep around the world

Create up to 12 objects to hang from your mobile. You could:

• Use stencils to create shapes on scrap paper or big leaves; • Draw and colour pictures of your favourite night-time things; • Collect nature finds from your backyard.

If you used stencils like me, cut out your shapes and punch small holes at the top with a hole punch.

Nursery mobile

For more information, visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au/galleries-museums. Keep up to date with what’s happening by subscribing to our Galleries & Museums NOW newsletter.

Sleep around the world

Decorate your items however you like! You could use glitter, colouring in pencils, or even stickers.

Once you have all your hanging items, tie them onto one of the pieces of string hanging from your mobile. If needed, secure them in place with glue.

When the glue has dried, tie a bit of string to the top of your mobile and hang it up!