DIY with the Fab Miss B: Papier Mache Sail Boat Mobile Tutorial

Here is a sailboat mobile I just finished recently. Follow along to make your own!

I snapped up this tiny papier mache sailboat ornament at an after Christmas sale (I'm such a sucker for 50% off ornaments!) with a thought that I might someday have a go at making my own. And then I saw these Sailboat Making Instructions on Ann Wood's beautiful blog, so I knew I had to try. I am not quite as precise as Ann, but I'll show you how I made my boats in case you'd like to play along.

First, I made the papier mache base using boxboard from a cracker box as a base. I simply cut out a double half moon shape and used strips of paper to create a boat hull with a narrow prow and a slightly wider rear. I also included a narrow band over the midsection so the mast could fit inside it. (I used 1 part flour to one part water for my papier mache paste just like in kindergarden, but next time I think I'll try acrylic gel medium for a more elegant finish. It was very lumpy indeed!) I let my hulls dry overnight.

Then I painted them in preppy blue and white stripes with acrylic paints. Next time I might use old book pages so the text comes through the paint the way it did in my store bought boat. I used a hole punch to make a hole in the middle band for the mast to stand upright in.

I constructed my mast and rigging by eyeballing. I used hot glue to attach ordinary bamboo kitchen skewers in three places. Then, I laid out a piece of fabric to create a sail with. I made a tiny notch in the fabric at the base...

And then at the top. (Thanks for the men's shirt swatches Mum! I've put them to good use!)

Then I used a needle and thread to whip stitch the sail to the rigging.

Finally, I used hot glue to secure the masts to the hulls and let them dry. I clipped my boats by their masts to a Ready Made Photo Mobile, though I did have to remove several extra pieces with a wire clipper. I have it hanging in my living room, but I think it would be just darling in a child's room too.

If you make your own sailboats, be sure to let me know how they turn out! I'd love to see pictures!