Green & Clean

We all have extra craft supplies lying around, whether they’re from your brief flirtation with cross-stitch kits or a more in-depth foray into quilting. If your stash includes extra embroidery hoops, try using them as the basis for a fun custom mobile that’s just right as your next baby shower gift.

The tutorials at Creative Jewish Mom show you how to hang hoops of different sizes inside each other for a spinning finished product, and includes inspirational photos of felt adornments for spring (bluebirds and bright leaves) and fall (yellow and orange trees and turkeys). Once you get the basic idea, though, it would be simple to decorate your mobile for winter with snowflakes or summer with bright flowers; you could also take your cues from the baby’s nursery, favorite childhood storybooks, letters and numbers, or classic kids’ characters.

And if you aren’t in the market for baby gifts, try making some as seasonal decorations for inside your home, or with paper and graphic prints as party or wedding decorations. It’s a quick and easy project—and a perfect way to trim your extra craft stocks.