Mitten Mobile

Mobiles are always fun to make and they can be made on any theme you want.  I enjoy making them with the children as you don’t need any special equipment and they can be completed within a short time.

I’ve used winter as my theme for this mobile and my boys helped me decorate some mittens but jumpers, snowmen or hats would also be good winter themes.

Materials:

• Several pieces of paper (depending on how large you want your mobile)
• Sticky tape
• Coloured pens and items for decoration (stickers, old wrapping paper, glitter etc.)
• 2 plastic straws
• String or thread
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. First cut out the mittens (or other shapes) for your mobile.  You will need at least four but you could make more.

2. Decorate both sides of the mittens by drawing and sticking on items.

3. Cut off a small piece at the end of one straw.  If you are using straws with a bendy section cut off the bendy part.

4. Make a hole through the middle on one straw and push the string through (this is easier with a needle and thread).  Then thread the small piece of straw through the string lengthwise.  Finally, make a hole through the other straw and thread the string through there too.  You should now have a shape that looks like a capital H on its side.

5. Make sure you leave a long piece of string at the top of your H to hang up your mobile and secure the bottom of the string by tying a knot or with sticky tape.

6. Now thread string the length of both long straws and make sure there is string hanging at either side.

7. Stick your mittens to the ends of the string hanging out of the straws.  Adjust the lengths of the string until you are happy with the arrangement.

8. Hang your mobile up and enjoy.

Photos and text by Karen Clayton

Karen is originally from Scotland and now lives in Zurich with her husband and two sons.  She is a qualified primary school teacher and now runs her own tutoring business, Smart Owls, offering English tuition for children and workshops for different age groups.  More information can be found at www.smartowls.wordpress.com.