Remember when we mentioned in our Charlotte window shopping post that we found nursery mobile inspiration at a small shop called Lucy & Co? The designer of the yellow butterfly mobiles explained that the mobiles were made from floral wire, fabric butterflies, and glue. That sounded doable to us, but instead of butterflies we brainstormed other small “things” that could appear to hover in a soft cluster above our baby girl’s head. John kept suggesting bees because they matched our homemade wedding invitations, but I worried bees might be a bit frightening in a nursery. In the end we settled on tiny yellow and pink blooms after wandering through Michael’s to see what was available.
We loved the feathery little florets that popped right off their stems and thought the yellow-and-pink combination would add a sweet contrast to our soft green and aqua palette. They were also buy-one-get-one-free, so for about $8 we picked up two large bunches of faux hydrangea blooms—one yellow and one pink.
We also grabbed some silver floral wire for a few dollars, then parked on the couch to watch TV while we experimented with the wire and created three orbs to cover with hydrangea blossoms. This stage was pure trial and error. We began by making loops of wire to set the sphere diameter and gradually built the shape from a flat circle into a three-dimensional ball while our cat watched curiously.
Our finished wire orbs looked feathery, haphazard, and slightly ethereal—exactly the airy vibe we wanted. We made one large, beach-ball-sized orb, one the size of a cantaloupe, and one medium-sized. A few wire ends were left splaying out to keep the look light and whimsical; we later removed the larger wire “handles” we’d initially made and created smaller, less noticeable loops for hanging.
Next we removed the individual blooms from their stems while watching another show. Each flower had a little hollow nub on the back that used to slide over the stem. To attach the blooms to the wire, John suggested cutting that nub vertically with an X-Acto knife for about a centimeter to create a forked pincher. We dabbed glue on the pincher, slipped it over the wire, and held it in place until it set. The forked nub plus a dab of glue secured every blossom, and we clustered the flowers randomly around each sphere for an intentionally unbalanced, charming look. We used Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue since it’s non-toxic and water-based—useful qualities for nursery items.
With the orbs completed, we found three small white ceiling hooks in our hardware drawer. John drilled tiny pilot holes in the ceiling to make screwing the hooks in easier, then adjusted the positions while the orbs hung from white sewing thread until we liked the arrangement. The thread is nearly invisible, so the spheres appear to float and maintain an airy presence in the room. We staggered the lengths of thread and varied the orb sizes so the mobile reads as casual and dynamic rather than uniform.
A close-up shows how discreet the thread is and how the little wire offshoots look whimsical once covered with blooms. The arrangement also casts pleasant shadows on the wall—maybe the baby will end up staring at the shadows more than at the blossoms themselves.
Rather than hanging the mobile over the crib, we placed it above the changing pad on our refinished dresser because that wall felt a bit bare. We already had a mirror above the crib to reflect light and offer a bold shape for Baby P to focus on, so the trio of mobiles felt more balanced over the changing area. The orbs may look slightly high or off-center now, but we have plans for that wall and will share updates as we complete them.
While we’re on the subject of the changing area, we used the screw-and-snap system included with the changing pad to secure it to the dresser. Each snap screw has a firm backing that’s screwed into the dresser where you want the pad to sit. Once the screws are in place, the pad snaps on and stays put—one snap screw at each end makes it extra secure and eliminates wiggle.
You might also notice our small blue fan in the room. We’ve read that good air circulation can help reduce the risk of SIDS and keeps babies comfortable, so we chose a compact, fingertip-safe Deco Breeze fan to aim at the crib when needed. It ties in nicely with the aqua ceiling, chandelier, and printed curtains, and it’s conveniently positioned to cool the area.
That’s how we made a three-orb floral mobile to hang over our changing table—using faux hydrangea blooms, floral wire, a little glue, and some trial-and-error patience. The changing pad cover is organic and came from the same source as our organic aqua crib sheets; we thought both the materials and price were excellent. Have you ever made a mobile? Any tips or safety suggestions for securing changing pads or arranging nursery decor? We’d love to hear your ideas.