Want to see a pregnant woman relaxing in a crib? Here you go.
I made a mobile for our little boy. It’s a blend of rustic and modern: a natural manzanita branch holds colorful circular disks that hang at varied lengths. It’s simple and cheerful, and putting it up made me feel unexpectedly ready for the baby’s arrival—like, “the mobile’s up, now the baby party can start.”
Much like the mobile I made for Clara’s room in the past, which used floral wire orbs, this one was straightforward to assemble—and Clara helped with parts of it.
I pulled a decorative manzanita branch out of storage—West Elm sold it a few years ago, so it’s been bleached and debarked and feels solid, not flaky. I liked the raw pale wood as a contrast to the bright disks I planned to hang. For the strands I used two paper banners I’d bought on clearance from Target months earlier. They didn’t match the nursery colors exactly, but a little craft paint fixed that.
I laid the banner pieces out on cereal boxes and painted them. They needed two coats to cover the original patterns, which turned into a fun project with a wiggly three-year-old assistant. Mostly we kept the paint off the strings by holding the brush together. Clara is proud of the mobile she helped make for “her baby.”
While those circles dried, I realized I needed more to fill the branch. I grabbed white embroidery floss and craft paper, traced circles using items around the house, and cut matching sets. I made sure to cut an even number of each size so I could sandwich the string between two paper circles with Aleen’s Tacky Glue, spacing them by eye about two inches apart to match the original banner spacing.
Each strand ended up about 25″ long, matching the lengths I’d cut from the Target banners. After everything dried I tied the strands to the branch at varying intervals for a cascading effect. I draped the branch over the backs of two chairs so the strands could hang while I secured them, spacing each slightly differently for an organic look.
By then Clara had moved on to sticker decorating the window, while our dog Burger wandered over for a look.
We’re careful about anything that hangs over a crib. In Clara’s nursery we secured a mirror by drilling through its frame so it couldn’t come loose. For this lightweight mobile, we still wanted extra safety. We used three heavy-duty brass-plated plant hooks with long screws—two of them hit ceiling beams and one is anchored—to support more than 10 lbs each. Then we tied strong, nearly invisible fishing line to the branch in three spots (both ends and the middle branch) and attached the lines to the hooks so the branch appears to float above the crib.
This hanging method keeps the mobile well out of baby’s reach and makes it easy to raise if needed. Once the baby is more mobile we’ll lower the mattress, which will increase the distance between the crib edge and the mobile.
The mobile instantly made the crib area feel sweeter and more inviting—like it’s saying “bring on the baby!”
For a moment I wished it were larger to better fill the wall, but at nearly three feet wide, 16″ deep, and 25″ long, it’s a good size. Bigger could interfere with leaning into the crib, so I’m content with the current dimensions.
John ordered two Spoonflower wallpaper samples as a surprise to see if a patterned backdrop might complement the mobile. They should arrive in about 12 business days—either it will be a great addition or a pass. We’ve also talked about painting an accent color between the built-ins, so the wall may evolve as the room comes together.
Here’s how the room used to look…
…and how it looks now.
Remaining tasks for the nursery include:
- possibly adding wallpaper or an accent color behind the crib
- installing an overhead light on a dimmer
- reworking the closet for baby clothes with paint, an extra hanging bar, or cubbies
- adding finishing touches like art or small accessories
- and of course: bring the baby home
We’re in the home stretch—both for the room and for the pregnancy. I’m 33 weeks and still experiencing morning sickness, but mostly we’re excited to meet the little guy who’s been doing a nonstop macarena in my belly. He’s a very enthusiastic dancer.
A helpful tip from readers was to check a mobile from below so it’s interesting from a baby’s perspective. Here’s the view the baby will have: spinning disks against a branchy backdrop. His eyes might not focus there for a while, but it’s a calm, colorful sight.
I considered attaching small animal shapes to the bottom of some strands for a view that reads flat from the crib, but since his bedding already has marching elephants, I opted for simpler disks to keep the sleep area soothing. We can always add characters later if he shows a preference—remember how into worms and dragons Clara got?
And because it’s amusing to see a grown man in a crib as much as a pregnant woman, here’s one more photo for laughs.
Anyone else making a mobile or finishing the last touches on a room? Or hanging out in cribs? It’s kind of fun—and surprisingly satisfying.
