The Birdie Mobile

I guess you could call me pretty crafty. Growing up my Mom would sew everything from dresses for me to new drapes for the house. I would rummage through her leftover fabric pieces and create costumes which mostly consisted of mismatched pieces put together with safety pins and crooked stitches. But I did learn to use a sewing machine and hand stitch, which I am incredibly grateful for to this day. I also took a "Learning to Sew" class one summer when I was 10. Don't be jealous, but I did learn to sew my own culottes ;)

So when I decided that his nursery will have a bird theme (I use the term "theme" loosely since you know how I feel about them) I decided that a bird mobile would be perfect. I did some research and found some darling ones on Etsy.com. Oh how I love you Etsy. But I wasn't willing to spend $75 on something made of felt so I thought "why not make it myself?!". And that's what I did.

Here's how I did it:

The supplies:  (Really this couldn’t get any cheaper!)

1 twig wreath found at any craft store
Felt fabric sheets (I got mine at Walmart with mixed colors in a package. You can probably get two birds out of one 8x10 sheet.)
Embroidery thread, mixed colors
Needle with large eye
Poly fill

Ribbon

Screw hook

Once I decided on the colors of each bird, I cut out two pieces (front and back) and then one wing in the second color felt. In retrospect, I wish I had put a wing on either side of the bird, but it was too late when I came to this conclusion. So the option is yours. 

I picked different color thread for each bird as well just to heighten the colorful look, but you can just use black or white thread. The little circles were completely free form too. The stitch I used was a blanket stitch done by hand. Here is a great tutorial on how to do the blanket stitch. 

All the finished birdies! I took some white twill yarn and threaded it through each bird and coordinating circle. I tied knots and added little wooden beads to make sure everything was at the right height when hung. 

And it's done! We used white ribbon to attach it to the ceiling with a simple hook. It really is darling in person.

Apparently sewing a mobile wasn't enough for me so I decided to make his name and some more birds. I strung these together and hung them on his wall with mini clothespins. Very cute. 

The Nursery

In all honesty, coming up with a boy nursery look was no easy task. That might be because the girl nursery was partially done for me (I would have just continued the look of my already done guest room) and for some reason little baby girl stuff just came more naturally to me. So when we found out we were having a boy I was a little…dumbfounded? I researched like crazy and came to the conclusion that:

1.) I hate “nursery” themes

2.) He is not a sailor, cowboy, prince, or living under the sea…

3.) I’m making my own rules.

4.) I all of a sudden love polka dots!

Bottom line: I wanted his nursery to be completely unique and something that would grow with him over time. I wanted it sweet and whimsical, but also a little funky and fun. So what did I get? Tree decals, birdies, geometric shapes, and lots and lots of color!

I suggest when doing any room that you decide on a color palette first. You can get your color palette simply by combining colors you like or maybe find inspiration in a picture, painting, or fabric that strikes your eye. For me, I found the crib bedding here and worked off that for my wall colors and then everything else just seemed to fall into place.

The great thing about his bedding—I had tons of colors to choose from for his walls. The bad thing about his bedding—I had tons of colors to choose from for his walls. Ever go to a restaurant that has page after page of menu options and you spend 10 min going back and forth between two, three items? Yeah that’s what was happening with me.  I finally decided on a light blue and grey look. I know blue for a boy nursery can be somewhat cliché, but by pairing it with grey, it brings out a whole new, modern look.

Here is what his nursery looked like before we painted. Man I am happy to get rid of that stale green color that was on every wall, baseboard, and door trim of every room of the house!

And here is what it looked like after we painted--ahh that's better.

I was worried about the grey coming off a little cold, so I thought that adding the tree decals on that wall would brighten it up. I went back and forth between lots of different tree decals on Etsy and I am so happy I ended up with these very ones. 

The husband thought they were pretty easy to put on as well. The trees come in two pieces and then all the branches are separate, which was a little confusing, but just lay out everything on the floor and you will figure it out just fine. 

Our new floors from Ikea! Much better than old, brown carpet. It really opened the space up as well. They are laminate and a little echo-y, but we couldn't beat the price. Bud Dog wasn't quite sure what to make of them. 

The crib! This was a gift from my parents and we just love it. It is from Cribs 4 Life. I like that it has modern touches, but is still a very functioning crib. The top part folds down for easy putting down or picking up of the baby, which is especially important for someone short like me. There are lots of modern style cribs out there, but please get one that will be functional for you and your baby. 

Bud "Scary Eyes" Dog is enjoying the new rug (also from Ikea). He much prefers carpet. 

The dresser from...you guess it Ikea! I am a firm believer in getting a dresser to double as the changing station as well. Nothing bothers me more then those stupid little changing tables that take up too much space and are used for only one purpose. So, before you spend your money on a piece of furniture that will only get used for a year or two at the most, please opt for a dresser that will be used throughout the years. 

And it's finished! The chair is from (OK this is the last time I'm going to say it) Ikea. Wait, I lied, the drapes are from Ikea as well. 

The birdie mobile that I made. Here is the post I did about my mobile. 

And presto! The dresser becomes a changing station. Now all I have to do when he is potty trained, besides jump for joy, is store this little changing pad away and continue to use the dresser as, well, a dresser. 

I just love his little mobile. 

So that's how his little nursery came to be. Hopefully the overall look will last past his baby years with a few changes here and there. That is another tip: don't go overboard with the baby theme since your little one will be a toddler before you know it. Choose paint, furniture, and fabric that will grow with them. The little details such as art work, can be easily changed out for things that are more relevant to your child's age.