Thursday, September 29, 2011

How to build a mobilé

After Chris suggested a tutorial, I thought how to show the way it works. The metal parts are black, the threads are red. Such bows can be bought, but also be made of wire or small rattan canes. Please start with the bottom part, building it up step by step. The most important part of the job is finding the balance, and this is something I can hardly explain.
The dangling objects are pieces of stiff cardboard I cut in geometrical shapes and painted with gouache, but I guess I'd rather recommend acrylics because the surface of gouaches is quite vulnerable.
... and the edges
better get painted, too!
In the second picture you can see the very easy method of building the objects. No glue is used to keep the parts in place. It is crucial to make a precise cut, not too thin, not too wide; if you cut only once, the space is too narrow, and the pieces will warp when being shoved into one another. If the cut is too large, they will drop apart. The width of the cut and the material thickness should be the same. -- Have fun making your own mobilé!

And if you do -- I can't wait to see your results. Please let me know!

11 comments:

jude said...

i might try this with cloth

Eva said...

LOL!

Eva said...

How about feathers, Jude?

Chris Gray said...

Thanks Eva!

.....a weekend project....

Ms. said...

Oh Eva--a project! How generous of you! Finding the balance is always the inexplicable task with just about everything. Thank you.

Els said...

You did a wonderful job Eva: building,filming ánd explaining!!!

Yael said...

Ohooo! Thank you Eva-Maria!!
Hm, I also thought about trying this with fabric - I have an idea...

Deborah said...

Looks like something I'd like to try!

Unknown said...

These. Are. Wonderful!

Martha Marshall said...

Oh my goodness, you have made me want to do this! It's magical.

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

What a truly lovely mobile....I am thinking about using some of my scraps of fabric. Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart