Make Your Own Hanging Mobile In The Hoop

A mobile is a type of moving sculpture constructed to take advantage of gravity and wind. It consists of a number of rods, string, chains or rope, from which objects hang. These hanging objects balance each other, so that the hanging mobile remain more or less horizontal.

Globally and historically there have been some stunning Wind Chimes, Floating Statues, Furin (Japanese Glass Wind Bells), Himmelis (Finnish Hanging Sculptures) and our more modern Hanging Mobiles.

There are a few different ways you make your own Hanging Mobile. We have a couple beautiful designs you can make in the hoop.

Bird Stained Glass Hanger design & Sweet Dreams Baby Mobile design

Below is a method we choose to create our hanger. For this blog we are using our Bird Stained Glass Hanger design

You will need:

• Wooden Embroidery Hoop (we used a 10”/25cm diameter hoop)
• Yarn (Use anything you like e.g. cord, ribbon, fishing line etc.)
• Measuring Tape
• Scissors
• Bird Stained Glass Ornaments
• Hanging hooks
• Clasp, Ring or Carabiner

Firstly you will need to work out how far you want the hanger to hang and how many lines of ornaments you wish to hang.

Measure the distance from where you would like your Bird Stained Glass Hanger to hang from (e.g. the ceiling) to where you’d want the embroidery hoop to sit.

Then cut four pieces of either yarn, cord, or ribbon at that length. Tie these pieces to the hanging hoop equal distances apart from each other.

Tie these to your hoop.

As we are using a timber Embroidery Hoop we have tied the yarn to the inside hoop and then secured the outer hoop to give this some additional hold. This will ensure the yard does not slip.

Tie both the hanging yarn (for the top of the hanger) and the mobile ornament yarn to the inside hoop (yarn tied to the appliqué birds and leaves).

Next, plan the layout of your Bird Stained Glass Hanger. Place the bird and leaf hanger accessories on the table along with the embroidery hoop in the centre.

We placed our appliqué on a table to get a bird’s eye view of how the hanger will look.

We decided to do 14 lines of hanging string for the ornaments at different lengths. Ensure that the gaps are even between each hanging garland as this will have an impact how the hanger will angle when you hang later on.

You can choose whatever length of garland or layout you prefer as long as they are even.

Once all your hanging strings are filled with ornaments, it is time to attach them to the inner hoop of the timber Embroidery hoop.

Lay your garland strings out in the order you would like them placed on your hanger. Have them evenly spaced around the hanging hoop. Tie the string to the top of the bird or leaf, then continue tying the string to the hoop. Tie a few knots attaching the hanging strings to the hoop to make them secure. Trim the excess string.

Now it is time to add the outer hoop back onto the inner hoop to secure your garlands in place.

To add more decoration to your hanger, you can wrap yarn, cord, or ribbon around the hanging hoop. This also hides the knots for the hanging strings.

Lastly, bring together the four ceiling hanging strings and tie them together in the centre of your hoop, to add a little something extra you can tie a bead or button to the centre of your hoop.

This gives your hanger stability when you're hanging it. Make sure when you add your bead or decoration that you tie it in place, in the centre of your hanging circle.

Then add your hanging hook, we have used a hinged ring for our hanger.

Your pretty Stained Glass Bird Hanger is finished.

We hope you enjoyed our 'How to Make Your Own Hanging Mobile' blog. It is a beautiful design and quick to stitch in the hoop.

If you have any questions or suggestions, we have a number of online communities (Facebook Groups, Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube) that you can reach us on. Otherwise you can always email us at customer.serivce@swpea.com

If you would like to learn more about In The Hoop (ITH) Machine Embroidery we have some wonderful tutorials, online groups and a ITH Machine Embroidery course available.

Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery Designs - Click Here

Our Online Embroidery Groups are a wonderful way to stay in touch with like minded ITH Enthusiasts, gain inspiration, share projects and get crafty in the hoop.

We have a Pinterest page of both our ITH Machine Embroidery Designs and the wonderful projects made by our outstanding and creative customers.

It is a great location for inspiration and seeing the versatility of ITH Machine Embroidery.

We have a wonderful ITH Machine Embroidery Course for those looking to learn a wonderful new hobby or gain a greater knowledge and further their techniques in the hoop.