Nature Inspired Art Mobiles
Materials
~Cray-Pas Expressionist Set of oil pastels (by Sakura of America)
~White cardstock, several sheets
~A cover for your worksurface
~Small sharp, pointed scissors
~White tacky glue
~E6000 or Goop glue for bird mobile only
~1 sheet brown cardstock (for bird mobile)
~Paper towels (lint free type) cut into about 5"-6" squares.
~Coated colored wire to match your project colors (one
thick, one thinner) for Pod mobile only
~Large flat soft bristle brush (about 3/4" wide)
~Jute ot twine for birds mobile
~7 silk flowers blossoms and leaves, in warm tones for bird mobile only
~Needlenose pliers with cutting area (or wire cutters)
~Round nose pliers
~Hot glue gun with clear glue sticks (or brown stick if you have one!)
~Color inkjet printer
To read all about Cray-Pas® Expressionist® oil pastels, where to
buy them online and in stores and to watch some great instructional
video tapes, visit www.sakuraofamerica.com online or the Cray-Pas page at
Cray-Pas Expressionist by Sakura
Perched Birds Mobile
1. Cover your work surface to protect it from the oil pastels. Print
out the bird (pod included) patterns onto white cardstock (link provided
below) and cut out the shape in the center of the black pattern line. Trace
pattern onto separate sheets of white cardstock. Trace 7 birds and 7 bellies onto white cardstock.
2. Using desired colors of Cray-Pas, color designs on each bird,
I kept with warm tones basically, oranges, greens, yellows, browns and added
some red. Each bird is differnt in color combo and designs to make the
mobile interesting. Color the bird belly the same as the center of
the bird as shown. Don't worry about coloring outside the pattern lines
as this area will be cut off. Using a small square of paper towel,
rub the colored areas to blend the colors and lighten them for a smooth
natural look. You can also add details at the end that you will not blend
in to add soome texture (brown lines).
3. Add tiny black or dark brown eyes. Then, cut our shapes just
INSIDE the black pattern line, so the black ink does not show at all.
Apply a thin even layer of white decoupage medium over the colored design
side only with a large flat soft bristle brush, to seal the oil pastels
and allow the birds to dry.
4. Crease the center of each bird downward (like a mountain
peak), COLOR SIDE UP. Then, crease the bird belly with the color side
down (like a valley).
5. Working on one bird at a time, apply a thin line of tacky glue
close to the white edge of the bottom of the bird body and top WHITE side
of the bird belly. Press together lining up the beak and the side edges of
the bird shape. This is a little tricky as you have to leave space
between the bottom and top in the center. Press glued edges till dry enough
to stick together. The area at the neck will reamin slightly open as shown
(bottom view of bird).
6. Fold a small strip of brown cardstock into a triangle shape.
Secure with with tacky glue as a bridge between the top of the tail edges
as shown, with the point facing down into the bird crese. This will be
the area that will be flat enough to glue the bird onto the wreath.
7. Glue birds to the wreath adding hot glue on the brown strip and
pressing onto wreath. You will need to find a heavy object to hold bird
in place while glue is cooling. I used a spoon rest. Repeat, trying
your best to space birds evenly, and to line up the height of the heads
the same. Face each bird towards the very center point of the wreath.
8. Glue leaves and flowers in-between the birds and tie the wreath
with four pieces of jute with the four strands spaced equally. Gather all
strings at the top and tie one loop with them. Clip ends to 1/4". The trick
is to tie the strings so the wreath hangs evenly all around. Re-do as needed.
Banana Bunch Pod Mobile
1. Cover your work surface to protect it from the oil pastels. Print
out the pod (bird included) pattern onto white cardstock (link provided below)
and cut out the shape in the center of the black pattern line. Trace
pattern onto separate sheets of white cardstock. I made 11 pods for my
banana bunch style mobile, although how many is up to you.
2. I chose a variation of greens and blue colors for this mobile.
Each pod uses differnt color combos and designs to make the mobile
interesting, as seen here with a local art student, Madi age 14. Feel
free to copy the designs for these shapes. Don't worry about coloring
outside the pattern lines as this area will be cut off.
3. Cut out each pod just INSIDE the black line so no black ink
shows. Move the paper while cutting not the scissors.
4. Apply a thin even layer of white decoupage medium over the
colored design side only with a large flat soft bristle brush, to seal
the oil pastels and allow the pods to dry.
5. Crease the center (from point to point) of each pod towards
you (like a vally), COLOR SIDE UP, like a boat. Apply a thin line of tacky
glue close to the inside white edge of the pod shapes *except for the very
tips (top and bottom-to leave a hole for wire) and press edges togehter
about 1/4" to form a 3 sided pod. Press glued edges till dry enough
to hold togehter.
6. Cut heavier wire lengths with wire cutters or the cutting area of
needle nose pliers, so they are 2" longer then the pod length from
point to point.
7. Insert a wire into each pod and using round nose pliers, curl each
end into a spiral. Now cut 2 long pieces of wire about 24", one thick
and pone thinner wire in another matching color. Twist the two wires
toghter making a strong center for the mobile.
8. Form a 3/4" loop at the top of the twisted wire to ahng mobile
with. Start at the top of the twisted wire jsut under the loop adding
pods shapes by attaching them with short thin pieces of wire to the twisted
base. Leave 1" to 1 1/2" wire free then add the next pod below the
first to stagger them. Add the last pod to the bottom end of wire.
More Unique Mobiles
Photo Fun Mobiles
Note: These mobiles are easiest if you have a Photoshop program,
although you can make the mobiles with just a printer and scanner. If
you want the old photos without color, simply scan them and print onto
transfer paper on your gray tones or black and white setting on your printer.
One more TIP: If you are not making a double sided mobile, but just using
the TAP transfer paper to transfer a single image, you will need to
reverse images of people or any type of text in a photo program, or it
will transfer backwards.
Materials
~Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) by C&T Publishing
~Create With transfer Artist Paper book (Optional but
so helpful!) by C&T Publishing
~White and Ivory squares of felt (premade at the craft store)
~Sticker (or self adhesive) flat back rhinestones and cabochons
~Double sided, 1/2" wide AND 1/4" wide grossgrain ribbon (doll mobile)
~3-4 yards 1" to 1 1/2" wide twill tape (woven ribbob for collage mobile)
~Two 6" round wood embroidery hoops (dolls mobile)
~One 6" round wood embroidery hoop (collage mobile)
~White tacky glue
~E6000 or Goop all-purpose clear glue (in tube)
~Non-permanent or temporary wax glue stick (solid type not liquid)
~Small print scrapbook paper or other printed fancy papers-Method II dolls
~Brown embroidery floss (for collage mobile)
~Sewing needle with eye large enough for embroidery floss
~Three photo headshots of a special girl
~Six old photos (change to sepia tone in Photoshop or print in gray tones)
~Antique brass jewelry: 6 bead caps, 1 yard large size chain, 3 large
oval necklace rings, 1 large round necklace ring and a variety
of flat filigree pieces (for collage mobile)
~Two black flat backed LARGE wood heart earrings (or pendants) with
top hole drilled (or paint black with acrylic paint-for doll mobile)
~Sewing tape measure
~Large silver or gold jump ring or split ring (to match ring on heart earrings
~2 pairs needle nose (or chain nose) pliers (or 1 pair and a jump ring tool)
~Iron and hard ironing surface with a pressing cloth or t-towel over it
~Photoshop program to tint old photos and piece doll clothing
together (Optional!)
You can view transfer products on the C&T Webste and browse many
great crafting books online at www.ctpub.com. Or, the TAP paper and book page is at
C&T Online
Paper Doll Mobile
Note: You will make two images for each doll, one facing right and one
left. The reason for double sided mobile images is that it will spin and
you want it too look good on both sides as it does!
1. Begin by choosing photos of your special girl, you will use only
the heads. Print out the "Paper Doll Patterns" and the "Clothes
Accessories Pattern" (pattern links are at the bottom of the page). Scan
your photos, size them to FIT the bodies provided and cut out just the
head with the neck!
2. Once you have the headshots, reverse each one also in Photoshop
so that you have 6 differnt faces. You may add digitasl hats now, or later.
Photoshop Instructions (Method I)
1. Follow the diagram above to use the patterns digitally in Photoshop
to cut out the clothes.
2. Drag the 'clipped' clothes in place to form a doll, add the head
and tweak the neck if needed. I overlap the top or coat over the neck
area a little. Add a hat if desired.
3. Follow the digram to add texture if desired, to some clothing or
hats or to fade the knees on jeans or pants.
4. Fill a whole page with digital dolls and accessories (you may
use the above clothing hats, flowers, bows, heart etc. for
personal use only).
5. Print out the pages onto the Transfer Artist Paper, on regular
or everyday print mode, feeding one paper at a time into printer,
to print on the white, slightly textured side. Be careful not to scratch
the white coating off at this point.
6. With the iron set to cotton or linen (hottest setting), firmly iron
the page of images onto the smoothest side of the felt, on a hard
t-towel covered surface, for about 1 minute (if the whole page is
being ironed at once). If the images are cut out (leave ¼” white border
around each), iron one image for 30-40 seconds. You can tell when the
transfer is complete when the paper starts to barely lift on an edge and
you see some color coming through the top (back side actually) of the
transfer. Bend the felt away from image edge and it should separate,
then just pull off the backing slowly. If it starts to stick, let go
of transfer and iron another 10 seconds and try to lift again.
Note: Plan out your doll, flower and rhinestone positions ahead!
7. Cut around each doll's exact silhouette so no felt shows now
from the front. Place bottom doll, felt side up under your ribbon
(cut six to about 16"-18").
8. Squeeze some fabric glue onto a plastic lid or similar palette.
Do not squeeze the glue directly onto the felt as it may bleed through.
(I use Fabric Fusion clear glue in a bottle). Spread out a thin
layer of fabric glue on the felt of the bottom doll (felt side up). Place
the ribbon down the center. Add glue to the felt side of the top doll and
place print side up the over ribbon, matching doll shapes together. Press
in place and try not to shift the dolls. Allow to dry.
9. Secure felt flowers and other shapes, back to back with fabric glue
onto the ribbon just as you did the dolls. Press the sticker stones
back to back over the ribbon also. See "Assembling Mobiles" below.
Sepia or Black and White Collage Mobile
1. You can convert your photos to sepia tone on Photoshop
(instructions are online many places), then even add additional light color
tinting to photos on a low color %, with the appropriate brush size. Keep
those colors light (almost transparent).
2. Follow the instructions above for ironing the photos onto felt. When
you cut out the shapes, just cut around each photo's straight edge with
"deckle" fancy scissors to give them a vintage look.
3. Once the fabric glue is dry, hand stitch around the photos on the thin
cream edge using embroidery floss, with a simple in and out stitch about 1/4" wide.
4. Instead of ribbon, secure the photos to twill (shown above) with
the same fabric glue while securing the photos back to back. Instead of
rhinestones, secure various sized flat, antique brass filigree shapes to the
twill in-between the photos which are staggered. Refer to
"Assembling Mobiles" below to finish project.
Paper Piecing Instructions (Method II)
1. If you do not have Photoshop, you can simply print the Paper Doll
Bases" and the "Solid Clothing Shapes" pages (below). Cut out a doll body,
arms (if short sleeve top is used) and shoes. Then choose clothing and
accessory shapes.
2. Trace these shapes onto small print scrapbook paper or other fancy
papers and maybe use textured solid paper for the pants and hats. Design
choices are up to you!
3. You will be putting together (paper piecing) paper dolls temporarily
with a glue stick, securing the pieces to cardstock and scanning the doll.
Then when you have filled up a page you can print out the dolls on the
TAP transfer paper and follow the ironing and cutting instructions
from Method I above. You will still need to use a real girl's face photos to
make it personalized.
Assembling Mobiles & Patterns
Paper Doll Mobile
1. Make sure all ribbons are the same length, then secure top ends of
ribbons to the inside of the hoops, 1/2" from bottom edge with
tacky glue. They will hang down formt he hoops. Add three 12" lengths of
ribbon to the inside of hoops placing them 1/2" from TOP edge of hoop so
they extend above the mobile.
2. To cover the 1/4" cut ribbon ends and give a finsihed look to
the hoops, secure a piece of the 1/2" wide ribbon over them on the INSIDE
of the hoops as shown. Overlap ends slightly when they meet, but do not fold
ribbon the end (this adds bulk).
3. Gather the three top ends of 1/4" wide ribbon togehter, one on top
of the other, making sure they are all exactly the same length. Glue them
together with asmall dot of glue between them. Remove the jump rings and/or
earring findings from heart earrings/pendants. Glue the two flat sides of
hearts on the top and bottom of the ribbon stack (like a sandwich) with tacky glue.
4. Thread the jump ring from one earring into both earrings. If it's
too small, use a larger jump ring. Add a second ring (even larger jump
ring or split ring) onto the jump ring in earrings. Hang from this large ring.
Sepia Photo Collage Mobile
1. Use the wood hoop as is for a natural look. Separate the two
rings by unscrewing the tightener. Secure a straight 3/4" area of the
top of the twill to the the INSIDE of the inner wood hoop and fold
over 1/4" to the OUTSIDE of the same inner wood hoop using tacky glue.
Cut edges will be concealed by the outer wood hoop later.
2. Repeat to add 5 more evenly spaced (use a tape measure) twill strips
(I used only six photos-even numbers are best I've realized).
3. Secure two bead caps, leaving a 1/16" area between them, centered
in-between two strips of twill, with E-6000 adhesive. Let each set dry,
propped up. When dry, secure two more sets of bead caps spaced evenly
around the hoop (refer to photo in step 2).
4. If the (twisty style) oval jewelry rings are solid, clip through the
ring and open as a jumpring, secure over the wood hoops between two bead
caps and close ring using needle nose pliers. (Refer to photo in step 2.)
5. Add one larger brass filigree shape to each chain (only two are
shown), in differrnt positions. Cut all three chains to the exactly same
length, then attach the top link of each to the round necklace ring. The
chain links usually open, find the seam and use pliers to open just as
you would a jump ring using 2 pairs of needle nose pliers.
Click on the link below for the full size pod, bird and doll
