Want to see a pregnant lady in a crib? There she is.
I made a mobile for our little boy, and it turned out to be this sweet mix of rustic and modern. The base is a manzanita branch and the hanging elements are colorful circles in different sizes and lengths. It’s simple, cheerful, and every time I look at it I smile. Hanging this felt like a real step toward meeting the baby — as if putting up the mobile announced, “Okay, now the baby party can begin.”
This project follows the same easy spirit as the mobile I made for Clara’s room years ago, but it’s even simpler to build. Clara helped paint the pieces, which made it a fun little family craft. First I grabbed a decorative manzanita branch that we’d had in storage. It had been bleached and debarked, so it’s solid and clean — no loose bark to worry about falling into the crib. The branch’s natural tone felt like a great counterpoint to the bright circles I planned to hang from it.
I used two paper banner garlands I’d grabbed on clearance, cut them apart, and painted over the patterns with craft paint to match the nursery palette. Clara loved holding the brush and doing the strokes, and it became one of those projects where we shared the paint brush so we didn’t get paint everywhere. The circles took two coats to fully cover the original patterns, but it was an easy, kid-friendly task and she beams with pride when she points out the mobile she helped make.
While the painted pieces dried, I made additional circles from craft paper so the mobile would feel full and balanced. I traced three different sizes using everyday round objects — the base of a paint bottle, a slightly larger bottle, and a small cup — then cut out matching pairs. I sandwiched white embroidery floss between pairs of paper circles with a dab of Aleen’s Tacky Glue so the strings looked clean and the circles held securely. I spaced the circles by eye, using the spacing from the original banners as a guide, roughly two inches apart.
Each strand ended up about 25 inches long, and when everything was dry I tied them to the branch at different points for a playful, varied look. I draped the branch over two chairs to attach the strands, spacing them irregularly so each hangs at a slightly different angle and width.
We’re careful about hanging things over cribs — maybe a little paranoid — but safety was our top priority. The mobile itself is very light, but we used three heavy-duty brass-plated plant hooks (rated for well over ten pounds each) and long screws to reach ceiling beams or heavy-duty anchors where needed. We hung the branch with strong, nearly invisible fishing line so it appears to float. The fishing line is knotted at three support points — both ends and the triangular middle — and attached to the ceiling hooks. This keeps the mobile safely out of reach and makes it easy to raise higher if the mattress is ever moved up.
Seeing the crib with the mobile now makes the space feel more complete and inviting. For a moment I considered making the mobile bigger to fill more of the wall, but at nearly three feet wide, 16 inches deep, and 25 inches long it’s large enough to be visually engaging without interfering with everyday use of the crib. Bigger might have meant bumping heads when reaching in, so the current size feels just right.
John ordered a couple of wallpaper samples to see if adding a backdrop would enhance the area between the built-ins, and we’re also considering an accent paint color. Whether we add wallpaper, paint, or leave it as-is, the mobile already adds a warm, playful focal point above the crib.
There are a few loose ends to wrap up in the room: possibly refinishing the wall behind the crib with wallpaper or paint, installing an overhead light on a dimmer (currently there’s no ceiling fixture), reorganizing the closet for baby clothes with a second hanging bar or cubby storage, and adding a few finishing touches like art or small accessories. And, of course, the most exciting item on the list — bringing baby home.
I appreciated a tip from readers to check how the mobile looks from below. From a little one’s perspective, the view is a sweet scatter of spinning color against the branch — simple disks that move slowly and calmly. I thought about attaching small flat animal shapes to the ends of the strands so they’d read well from beneath, but since his bedding already features marching elephants, I decided the soft motion of colorful circles would be soothing for sleep. The mobile can evolve as he grows if we want to add more character or themed shapes later.
This project felt like a gentle, creative way to prepare the nursery and involve our family. Clara loved contributing, Burger the dog came to investigate, and John even surprised me with wallpaper samples. We’re in the home stretch of both the room and this pregnancy. I’m still dealing with morning sickness at 33 weeks, but mostly I’m excited to meet this little guy who keeps dancing around in my belly.
- Consider a wallpaper or accent color behind the crib
- Install an overhead light on a dimmer
- Redo the closet for baby clothes (paint, add a second hanging bar or cubbies)
- Add finishing touches like art and small accessories
- Bring the baby home
Are you working on a nursery project, finishing a room, or even spending time in a crib for fun? This kind of simple, handmade detail can make a space feel ready — and it’s a sweet way to celebrate the arrival of a new family member.