Craft: Nativity of Christ mobile

FREE PRINTABLES

Click to download (3.8 MB)

You will need:

  • Our printable package, printed in color. High quality printer paper works best, but plain paper will also do.
  • A large piece of poster board
  • String
  • Scotch tape
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • A piece of ribbon – to hang the mobile

Print and cut out all the figures from our printable package. For each figure, you will notice there are two corresponding images, one mirroring the other. Those will be glued together in the end, to make double-sided figures. 

First, we will start making the cave, the base of the whole mobile. For the front side of the cave, glue its two parts (left and right) next to each other on a piece of poster board as shown in the photo. The color of the poster board doesn’t matter – it won’t show in the end. In our example, we are using a piece of scrap light blue poster board left over from another project. After you glue the cave on one side of the poster board, cut and remove the poster board all around the cave. Put the cave aside – we will be returning to it later – and start making the smaller figures. 

To make the smaller figures, we will only be working on the front sides to start. Tape a piece of string behind each figure – except the angels and the star – as shown in the picture.

The piece of string should be quite long – we will be cutting it later on. Hang each image from the string you just taped, to make sure it is well balanced. If not, remove the tape and tape the string again just a bit to the side. Do this as many times as needed to balance each figure well.

Next, we will tape the figures – except the angels and the star – onto the poster board behind the cave image. Place the cave, poster board-side up, on a working surface and place the figures underneath it in such a way that no figure or string will be touching each other when the mobile hangs. Look at the photo below for reference. Once you are happy with how every figure is positioned, tape the figures on the cave poster board. Cut and discard the pieces of string that are not needed.

Tape a piece of string on the top part of the cave, on the poster board. Holding on to this piece of string, hang the whole cave to make sure it balances well. Re-position the string as needed to achieve good balance. Once you are happy with the result, glue the back side of the cave unto the poster board, covering up the poster board and all the tape and strings completely. Look at the photo below for reference.

Now it is time to glue the back sides of the figures, again sandwiching the string and tape between the two images – front and back. After all the figures – except the angels and star – are complete, tape a piece of ribbon on the back of one of the two angel images – see photo below.

Tape the angels onto the string from which the whole mobile is hanging, then glue the back side onto them, sandwiching the tape, string and ribbon between the two sides of the angels figure.

Finally, glue the star onto the cave – one side on each side of the cave – and the mobile is ready! Hang in a place where it will be able to move freely and enjoy.