Want to see a pregnant lady in a crib? Here you go.
I made a mobile for our little guy. It’s a mix of rustic and modern — a bleached manzanita branch with colorful round disks hanging at different lengths — and it makes me smile every time I look at it. Weirdly, hanging the mobile made me feel more ready for the baby: “OK, the mobile’s up — now the baby party can start.”
Like the mobile I made for Clara’s room years ago (that one used floral orbs made from wire and faux flowers), this one was simple to put together and Clara even helped with parts of it.
First I pulled my decorative manzanita branch out of storage. It was sold by West Elm a few years ago, so it had already been bleached and debarked — solid and safe, with no flaking bark to worry about. I left the branch its natural color as a neutral counterpoint to the colorful disks. For the hanging strands I used two paper banners I’d picked up on clearance from Target months ago.
The Target banners didn’t match the nursery palette, so I painted them. We laid them out on recycled cereal boxes and Clara helped with two coats of craft paint. It was a team effort — part painting, part holding the brush together so the strings stayed clean — and she’s proud that she helped make “her baby’s” mobile.
While the painted circles dried I realized I needed more pieces to fill the branch, so I used white embroidery floss and some decorative craft paper. I traced three circle sizes using common items from around the house — the base of the paint bottle, a slightly larger bottle, and a small cup — then cut out matching pairs so I could sandwich the string between them.
I glued matching paper circles over the embroidery floss with Aleen’s Tacky Glue so the string was held neatly inside each disk. I spaced the disks roughly two inches apart, mirroring the spacing on the Target banners I’d used as a guide.
Each strand ended up about 25″ long, the same length I’d cut from the pre-made banners. After everything dried I tied the strands to the branch at various intervals for a playful, uneven look. I draped the branch across two chairs to keep the strands free while tying, then adjusted spacing until it felt balanced.
At that point Clara was off decorating the window with stickers, and Burger the cat wandered over for a look as I finished up.
We’re very cautious about hanging things over a crib. In Clara’s nursery we secured a mirror by drilling through the frame and anchoring it solidly to the wall. For this mobile — which is lightweight — we used three heavy-duty brass-plated plant hooks (each rated for 10+ lbs) with long screws so two hit ceiling joists and the third used a reliable anchor. Then we tied extra-strong, nearly invisible fishing line to the branch at three support points (both ends and the middle triangular branch area) and connected those to the hooks, giving the effect that the branch is floating above the crib.
This hanging method keeps the mobile well out of baby’s reach, and if we ever worry about access we can easily raise it. Once the baby is more mobile we’ll lower the mattress, which will increase the distance even more.
The crib feels sweeter now — like it’s saying “bring on the baby!”
For a moment I wished the mobile filled more of the wall, but it measures about three feet wide, 16″ deep and 25″ long. Bigger would risk bumping into people leaning into the crib, so the size feels right after living with it for a bit.
John ordered two Spoonflower wallpaper samples to see if a backdrop might enhance the wall between the built-ins — a surprise I’m excited about. They’ll arrive in a couple of weeks and could end up being a subtle accent or something more dramatic. We’ve also considered painting an accent color between the built-ins, so we’ll see how things evolve.
The room has already changed a lot from how it originally looked…
…to how it looks now.
What’s left to do in the nursery:
- Tweak the wall behind the crib with wallpaper or paint
- 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 small art and accessories
- Welcome the baby
We’re in the home stretch — both for the pregnancy (I’m still dealing with morning sickness at 33 weeks) and the room. Mostly we’re just excited to meet the little guy who’s doing the macarena in my belly. I think he’s a very good dancer.
A helpful tip from readers was to check the mobile from below to make sure it’s interesting from a baby’s perspective. From the crib the view is little spinning slices of color against branchy texture. I debated adding small shapes facing downward, but since the bedding already has marching elephants, simple dancing disks felt more soothing for a sleep space. We can always evolve the mobile as he grows — if he becomes obsessed with some creature like Clara was with worms and dragons, I can add that later.
And because it’s amusing to see a grown man in a crib more than a pregnant woman, here’s that image too.
Anyone else making mobiles or finishing up a room project? Or hanging out in cribs? It’s a surprisingly fun way to spend an afternoon.
