How to make a baby mobile

Use our free template to create this easy baby mobile out of paper and make bedtime an absolute dream for your little ones.

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Holly Spanner

Published: September 26, 2020 at 6:30 am

With fluffy white clouds, dancing paper elephants and floating hot air balloon, this adorable baby mobile will make bedtime an absolute dream for your little ones.

Little 'uns will really love watching the colourful hot air balloon and elephants as they gently spin and turn in an eye-catching cot mobile of bright pastel shades and pretty prints.

Constructing the cot mobile is straightforward with the cot mobile free template, too. The simple shapes sandwich the hanging thread between two templates, while the hot air balloon uses a paper folding technique. Scroll down for a full step-by-step tutorial and why not rustle up a baby mobile before bedtime? If you're looking to add more texture to your baby mobile, add threads of pom-poms onto white cotton to give your hot air balloon extra interest.

If you don’t have any patterned papers, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with our extensive free patterned paper collection, that you can download as PDFs.

If you make your own cot mobile, don’t forget to share your make with us on Facebook or post them on Instagram!

Make a cot mobile

You will need:

White card
Patterned paper
Perle cotton thread
Embroidery hoop (6 inch)

Step 1

DIY paper cot mobile

To make the balloon, download the free cot mobile template and transfer onto your card (cutting the template out and tracing round it is an easy way to do this). Next, cut out six balloon shapes. Score a vertical line along the centre, and fold the balloon in half.

Step 2

DIY paper cot mobile

Stick the sections together back-to-back using double-sided tape. Alternate plain and patterned paper sections, sticking the inner side of one section to the inner side of the next colour.

Step 3

DIY paper cot mobile

For the final side, open out the balloon a little and place double-sided tape along the centrefolds. Position and stick the hanging thread on top, before sticking the last side together. Using the baby mobile template, cut the clouds and elephants out and suspend from an embroidery hoop. Cut the clouds and elephants from a heavyweight card, so that the baby mobile hangs well, then sandwich the thread between two of these elements, stuck back to back.

Tie the entire baby mobile to a small plastic hoop, which you can then hook onto the ceiling above baby’s cot.

Looking for more baby projects?

Staff Writer, BBC Science Focus

Holly is the Staff Writer for BBC Science Focus and looks after the popular Q&A section. She holds an MSc (distinction) in Geoscience (Space and Climate Physics) from UCL, and specialises in astronomy and earth sciences. Before joining Our Media, she worked as a geoenvironmental consultant and engineer, informing on ground risk and remediation in the north of England, while hunting for exoplanets in her spare time. Alongside this, she was regional editor of a popular theatre website for nine years, and has a solid background in curating and developing content for the digital space. Holly is also an artist and illustrator, and regular contributor to the craft website, Gathered. She has previously worked with the RSPB, English Heritage, Disney, Pilot and Brother, as well as on BBC Good Food magazine, Home Style magazine, and Papercraft inspirations magazine. She enjoys photography and has a sustained interest in antiques.