What You’ll Need

• 1 foot-long stick
• 24 craft sticks
• Paint in various colors
• Paintbrush
• String
• Buttons
• Glue

What to Do

1. Divide craft sticks into 12 pairs, painting each pair the same color. Let dry.
2. Find a foot-long stick. Cut 12 long pieces of string. Tie a button to one end of each string; tie the other end to the stick, about an inch apart.
3. Lay your mobile on a table. Sandwich a string between a pair of matching craft sticks and glue the sticks together. Let dry.
4. Cut another long length of string and tie it to both ends of the stick. Hang the mobile where it will catch a breeze.

Extend the Fun 

For younger kids: Make it personal! Allow your child to add stickers or photos to the “chimes.” Change up the sticks and paint stripes or polka dots on them. Let her creativity soar!

For older kids: Make nature mobiles. Gather seashells on the beach, or buy a bag of shells at a craft store. Attach a mix of buttons and shells on alternate strings, or go woodsy, using pinecones, whirligigs, feathers, or dried flowers. To make true ”wind chimes,“ add jingle bells.

Craft by Edna Harrington; text by Mary Sears